Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, has denied claims that President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the South-East region was politically motivated.
He rejected the claims yesterday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Recall that the President left Abuja on Tuesday for Ebonyi State, kicking off his first official visit to the South East since he assumed office in 2015.
“If some people are infusing political motives, they have a right to their thoughts. As far as the President is concerned, this is a state in the country he has been invited to come on a state visit and commission some projects,” Adesina said.
In the defence of his principal, the presidential spokesman explained that the state in question (Ebonyi) is under the control of a party in the opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party.
According to him, the President’s visit, therefore, showed that he meant well for all parts of the country regardless of political affiliations.
Adesina rejected reports that the Buhari-led administration sidelined the zone in his appointments.
“Talking about appointments from the region, if you were here today in the places where the President was received, what is just the general opinion, what they have been asking for is just ‘more.’ It is not as if we have not gotten anything, they say thank you for the ones we have but we want more.
“And if you ask people from other parts of the country, it will be the same request; it will be the same sentiment. Thank you for what you have given us, but we want more.
“So, it not only one region of the country that has issues about being under-appointed or under-represented in government, almost every region can lay claim to that,” he added.
