The Presidency says ethnicity and religion should not be a criterion in the selection of who would succeed the Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu.
There have been calls for the president to appoint someone from the south-east as Adamu’s successor following the appointment of new service chiefs last week without any of them being from the region.
However, Senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity Garba Shehu said on Monday on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme that the appointment would be based on ability to secure lives and property in the country, not by ethnicity.
Adamu is expected to leave the office on Monday, having reached the mandatory retirement age.
“I haven’t spoken with the president but if I read his mind correctly, the president would rather have an Inspector-General of Police who would make you and I safer, who would protect lives and property than one who is more pronounced by his tribal marks,” Mr Shehu said.
He said the president would decide on Adamu’s fate when he returns to Aso Villa from Daura, Katsina State later this week.
The presidential spokesman added: “If we said that we are going to use ethnicity or religion as the basis, then, we have lost it. This is about law and order and not about ethnic identity.
“Look at what happened with the service chiefs appointed now – two from the south, two from the north. If you are talking about religion, two Muslims, two Christians.”
