Nigeria Has Never Been United, It Has Always Been Divided – Presidency |The Source

By Gideon Njoku

The Presidency says Nigeria has always been a divided country, and that every effort to make it united, have not worked.

Speaking on a Channels TV Programme, Politics Today, Femi Adesina, Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, to President Muhammadu Buhari, insisted that Nigeria has always been divided since amalgamation, and has  never been one.

At best, Adesina said, Nigeria is just an “inconvenient” contraption.

Adesina was reacting to the recent strong criticisms against the President Muhammadu Buhari  Government, by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, supported by another statement by Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyjnka.

Obasanjo had decried the state of the Nation, saying Nigeria had become a basket state, and was on the verge of becoming a failed State.

Obasanjo, also, submitted that Nigeria had become a very divided country under Buhari.

The Presidency had replied, rubbishing his fears, and dismissing him as one jealous of the achievements of the President. He is “The Divider-in-Chief”, the Presidency fired.

But it came as a surprise when Soyinka, who has never agreed with Obasanjo, backed and, reinforced Obasanjo’s opinion.

Backing the former President, Soyinka lamented that Nigeria was on the verge of a total collapse under Buhari.

But speaking, Adesina said the Presidency does not get worried over Obasanjo’s opinions, because Obasanjo had always criticized every Government, from the time of President Shehu Shagari.

The only Government, Obasanjo has not criticised is “Obasanjo’s Government”.

Adesina  tried to  justify the Presidency’s opinion that Obasanjo is jealous of Buhari, remembering that Obasanjo had boasted that nobody would rule Nigeria as long as he did – three years as a Military Head of State, and eight years as a Civilian President. Drawing from that, Adesina said, Obasanjo could be feeling that this man (Buhari), is coming close  to him.

Taking on Soyinka, Adesina said Soyinka will always be Soyinka. “We respect him, we will look at what he said, but we are not expected to take it hook, line and sinker.”

He said Soyinka is known as a critic, saying he really never supported Buhari in 2015, but only said: “This candidate is a shade better than this.”

Adesina said of Soyinka “Even the Government he served in, as the Corp Marshal of the Road Safety, he criticized.”

He disagreed that Buhari is becoming unpopular by the day, insisting that the President won with more vote margin  in 2019, than he did in 2015.