Malam Mamman Daura, considered to be the most prominent figure and one of those dictating the affairs of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, has denied ever imposing his opinion on the President.
Daura, who broke his long silence, in a brief interview with the BBC Hausa Service monitored in Kaduna on Tuesday, said though President Buhari is his uncle and they grew up together, he only advised based on Mr President’s request, and has never insisted that his advice must be taken.
When asked on his relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari, he said the President is his uncle, “my father was their mother’s first born. Buhari is the last born,” he said.
When reminded that people had said he and Buhari grew up together and had always been together, he said “yes, it’s true”.
On whether he had been meeting Buhari and advising him on issues, he answered: “Yes, i do visit him to greet him, I do give him advise. If he asked, I advice him. But I don’t go there on my own and insist he must do this or that. No, you don’t do that to the government.”
Commenting on the clamour for power shift, he said its high time the country unite and go for the most competent candidates irrespective of their origin, ethnicity or religious inclination.
“This turn by turn, it was done once, it was done twice, it was done thrice. But it is better for this country to be one. It should be for the most competent and not for someone who comes from somewhere,” Mamman Daura said.
