President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday told the BBC Hausa service translated by Daily Trust that it was his constitutional right to select those who will work closely with him. He also said that those appointments were reward for loyalty. He justified the appointments by saying those appointed were those close allies who refused to be lured by power or material wealth. He said he needed to have those he could trust.

This is the first time the president will be making a public statement on the lopsided appointments.

There had been public outcry over the lopsided appointments of senior officers, particularly to sensitive positions which critics say did not represent the principle of Federal Character. When asked by BBC why his appointments so far have been lopsided, he said ‘This is the nature of Nigerian Politics.

President Buhari said ‘ If they will do justice to me, as an elected Nigerian president, let them look at the constitution ,a Nigerian President works with, there are people who will closely work with me that don’t need to be taken to the Senate.

‘ If I select people whom I know quite well in my political party, when we came all the way right from ANPP,CPC and APC, and have remained together in good or bad situation, the people I have confidence in and I can trust them with any post, will that amount to anything wrong?

‘I have been with them throughout our trying times, what then is the reward of such dedication and suffering?

‘They did not defect because of positions, they did not involve themselves in the pursuit of personal gains, and they accepted their fate throughout our trying moments. What is wrong if I make you the secretary (to the government of the federation) because I have confidence that things will go normal?

On the Chibok girls, President Buhari said among other things that

‘They have scattered them, and are being guarded at dispersed locations.

Most of the girls are Christians and were forced to embrace Islam. And the sect’s cruel leaders have married some of the girls, obviously against their wish.

Others have been left to practice their religion but their condition could hardly be ascertained. Both ground and air security personnel in the Sambisa forest could spot where the girls are, but since the insurgents have also kidnapped housewives and other women, no one could say whether they mixed them or how they dispersed them.