Reputed to be the head of the kitchen cabinet of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the president’s nephew, Malam Mamman Daura, yesterday spoke on the vexed issue of zoning and rotation of the nation’s presidency, arguing that competence, not geography should determine the next president of Nigeria in 2023.
“This turn-by-turn, it was done once, it was done twice, and it was done thrice… It is better for this country to be one…it should be for the most competent and not for someone who comes from somewhere,” he told the BBC Hausa Service in an interview.
Dismissing the clamour for power shift, he said it was time for the country to unite and go for the most competent person to lead the nation.
According to him, since Nigerians have tried the rotational presidency about thrice already, it would be better to go for the most qualified candidate in 2023 irrespective of whether he comes from the North or the South. This, he said, would be better for the nation’s unity.
He also spoke about his relationship with his uncle, saying contrary to the dominant view in the public domain, he could not possibly dictate public policy to the president.
“Yes, I do visit him to greet him; I do give him advice, but if he asked…I advise him. But I don’t go there on my own and insist I must do this or that. No. You don’t do that to the government,” he said.
