Following the defensive presidential statement by Garba Shehu, over the trending zoning BBC Hausa statement by Mamman Daura, renowned politician from Delta State, Chief Edwin Clark has described two persons as ‘Villa Cabal’ and ‘Errand Boy’.
On the said topic, in part, President Buhari’s cousin, Mamma Daura says –
“This turn by turn, it was done once, it was done twice, it was done trice…
“It is better for this country to be one…it should be for the most competent and not for someone who comes from somewhere,”
While Garba defensively stated that –
“It is important that we state from the onset that as mentioned by the interviewee, the views expressed were personal to him and did not, in any way, reflect that of either the President or his administration.
“In an attempt to circulate the content of the interview to a wider audience, the English translation clearly did no justice to the interview, which was granted in Hausa, and as a result, the context was mixed up and new meanings were introduced and/or not properly articulated.
“The issues discussed during the interview, centred around themes on how the country could birth an appropriate process of political dialogue, leading to an evaluation, assessment and a democratic outcome that would serve the best interest of the average Nigerian irrespective of where they come from.
“These issues remain at the heart of our evolving and young democracy, and as a veteran journalist, scholar and statesman, Malam Mamman has seen enough to add his voice to those of many other participants.”
Responding to all the ‘rigmarole,’ the Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark described Mamman Daura as “the leader of the ‘Villa Cabal’” and Garba Shehu as “the go-between or the errand boy of the ‘Cabal’.”
According to the South-South elder statesman, “Mamman Daura as nephew to Mr.President has every right to speak on their family matters because he is part of Muhammadu Buhari’s family.
“But he has no experience or qualification to give directives on Nigeria’s governmental affairs.”
Chief Clark in his specific reaction to Daura’s comment that the presidency “should be for the most competent and not for someone who comes from somewhere“ said; “the qualities of capability, competence, intelligence and transparent leaders, and availability of such, are not only either in the North or in the South, neither is it the prerogative of one group or area.”
“A situation whereby one ethnic group, because it thinks it is larger, will use its size and population to dominate smaller ethnic groups in a State is unacceptable.
“And it is for this reason that some of us are recommending that the South-Eastern part of Nigeria should now be allowed to produce the President of the country, now that it is the turn of Southern Nigeria to produce a President.”
