Pages: 74-90

Abstract

The broad objective of this study is to examine the problems of imbalance in our national life between/ among states and ethnic/religious groups in relation to the recent appointments made by the Buhari Presidency on diversity in Nigeria. This is because those from the Southern part of Nigeria have continued to express concern over the appointments made so far by President Muhammadu Buhari. They posit that the appointments were lopsided and not in the best interest of the country. President Buhari is from Katsina State, Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara are from Kwara and Bauchi states respectively. The judiciary is led by Justice Mahmud Mohammed from Taraba State. Of the seventeen appointments made by Buhari so far, seventeen are from the North, while five are from the South. The appointments, however, drew the ire of Nigerians who asked Buhari to respect the country’s principle of federal character. Already, the Internet, particularly the social media and blogs, are agog with reactions and counter-reactions on the matter. For those who are opposed to his appointments so far, they smack of tribalism, nepotism, religious bigotry and a pointer to his ill-motivated aspiration to Islamize the country, which must be resisted. The good governance thesis posits that while calling on Southerners to be patient and watch events unfold, they should be hopeful because no region could be a subordinate of the other. This view argued that the appointments made so far are tested and trusted in various capacities and their competencies are not in doubt. Due to the nature of this research, descriptive research method was used in order to address the challenges and problems posed by the study. Sources of data were mainly from secondary sources gathered from pamphlets, journals and published books related to the field of study.