Buhari's administration becoming more intolerant of criticism - Northern group says

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has accused the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari of becoming more intolerant of criticism.

The group made this known in a statement released on Sunday, August 16, The Cable reports.

The CNG said that the Buhari administration benefitted from the alleged tolerance of the immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan.

The group's spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, alleged that the Buhari administration is gradually turning Nigeria to a police state.

“The CNG finds it worrying that the current administration is becoming more and more intolerant of opposition and criticism and gradually dragging the country towards a police state,” Suleiman said in the statement," Suleiman said.

According to Legit.ng that the group issued the statement following the invitation of Ghali Na’Abba, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Media reports had stated that the DSS invited Na’Abba after he made critical comments about the Buhari administration while unveiling the agenda of the National Consultative Front.

The former speaker had said those currently in power have failed Nigerians, citing insecurity and unemployment.

However, the presidency has said the DSS invited Na’Abbah over a situation that has nothing to do with his utterances against President Buhari.

Garba Shehu, the senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity made the disclosure on Sunday, August 16, when dismissing claims by the politician that he was invited for criticising the president.

“Our findings have revealed that his invitation has nothing to do with the alleged irresponsible utterances by Umar Ghali Na’abba, which in any case did not catch the attention of the Presidency, or of any serious politician for that matter," the presidential spokesperson said.

Shehu called on the public to disregard the claims from the politician and urged him to distance the presidency from the situation he has found himself and sort himself out accordingly.

He described Na’abba as a flash in the pan politicians who makes fabrications for political relevance.