Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, says there is something wrong with some Nigerian politicians.
Mohammed was commenting on the reaction of some politicians to the abduction of over 300 students from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina state when he featured on Good Morning Nigeria, a programme on the Nigeria Television Authority, on Saturday.
Some protesters took to the streets in different parts of the country to demand that the government secure the release of the schoolboys while #BringBackOurBoys was trending on social media.
Uche Secondus, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led a #BringBackOurBoys protest in Abuja.
Mohammed, however, said politicians, regardless of their differences, are supposed to come together to seek a solution when the country is faced with a challenge, and not politicise issues.
The minister said as a politician, he is not proud to be grouped with some of his peers.
“In my press conference yesterday, I said in a time of crisis or tragedy, people normally come together to address that issue. It is not a time to politicise, trade or commercialise the misery or tragedy of a whole nation,” Mohammed said.
“And I am not proud to be lumped together in the same class as those who claim to be politicians because those are not real politicians. Yes, we can have our differences but when it comes to issues like Kankara, we should come together and resolve it. Some political parties actually came to Abuja and you know, they had already made vests, banners, parading the streets.
“So honestly, there is something not quite right with some of our politicians.”
Speaking during a press conference on Friday in Abuja, Mohammed taunted the #BringBackOurBoys campaigners, asking them to go home now that the pupils have been freed.