Buhari’s Comments On Turkey’s Referendum Stir Controversy

President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with the people and government of Turkey on the successful conclusion of the country’s referendum on Monday.
President Buhari, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, yesterday, congratulated Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for
the foresight and maturity of leading his people to the polls to decide on the future of leadership for the country that will further deepen peace and stability.
Buhari was quoted as saying that the Turkey referendum showcases the democratic credentials of the country and reflects a willingness of the Turkish people to live together and jointly pursue a better future.

But the Lower Niger Congress (LNC) in a statement yesterday, faulted the president, saying his position depicts ‘double standards.’ Secretary-General of the LNC, Mr. Tony Nnadi, said it would be hypocritical of Nigeria’s presidency to be congratulating Turkey on a successful referendum when it is using physical and psychological force to prevent a referendum in Nigeria.
Nnadi said the LNC is an aggregation of the self-determination initiatives of the old Eastern and Midwestern regions of Nigeria, seeking a referendum to decide the future of the peoples of the territory.”
“In the face of the reluctance of the Federal Government of Nigeria to see inevitable role of a referendum in resolving the bourgeoning self-determination quest of Eastern Nigeria which had been prosecuted by its younger generation as “Biafra Agitation,” the Lower Niger Congress (LNC), views the congratulatory message of President Muhammadu Buhari to the Government and People of Turkey as a paradox of monumental proportions,’’ the group said.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Mr. Mike Omogbehin, has declared that the war against corruption initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari is a total fiasco.
Omogbehin said this in reaction to several funds that were discovered by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) without any valid trace to the owners of the loots, especially the N13 billion in Osborne, Lagos State.
The lawmaker, who is a member of House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, reiterated that his committee would probe the involvement of National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
While speaking during the presenting of annual bursary and empowerment items worth millions of naira to the people of his constituency in Idepe, Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state yesterday, he decried the anti-corruption war of the present administration.
He lamented that the anti-corruption crusade has become a witch-hunt spree against members of the opposition parties in the country.
According to him, “Buhari’ s administration has lost it, it has no war in place against corruption, what we have in place is witch hunting. It is very clear from what has been happening. They have been telling us they see money planted in airport, we have another in Balogun, is money that cheap?”
Also, the Senator representing Niger East, David Umaru said the national assembly consists of highly patriotic Nigerians who cannot be intimidated into working along the path of base and primordial sentiments of religion and tribalism.