Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has successfully curtailed the alleged excesses of a cabal operating within the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, seat of the Federal Government, and has asserted himself as the man fully in charge of the affairs of the country in the absence of his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, The Point has learnt.
Osinbajo took over as the Acting President of the country following the hurried return of President Buhari to London on May 7, 2017, to attend to his failing health. Buhari had earlier spent 50 days in London in the first quarter of the year to undergo a comprehensive medical examination and attention, and returned to Nigeria on March 10. Upon his return, the President also hinted that he would soon be going back to London for further medical checks.
Our correspondent, however, gathered that the tempo of governance changed during Buhari’s 50-day absence, prompting the dreaded Aso Rock cabal allegedly headed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari; Buhari’s cousin, Mamman Daura, and suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, to mount pressure on the recuperating President to hurriedly return home.
The cabal, it was learnt, reviewed the 50-day medical vacation of President Buhari and vowed never to allow the vice president to have unhindered and absolute powers. This, a Presidency source said, they did by inserting a phrase in the letter transmitted to the National Assembly transferring power to Osinbajo. Instead of addressing him as Acting President as anticipated by Section 145(1) 0f the 1999 Constitution as amended, they reportedly referred to him as the coordinator.
The Point, however, gathered that the cabal’s camp had been decimated before the President travelled out of the country on May 7. The powerful SGF had already been placed on suspension over allegation of graft, Daura has since been too busy with the health of his cousin (President Buhari), while Kyari has somehow become a toothless bulldog.
A Presidency source also disclosed to our correspondent that the Acting President once had a crucial meeting with senior staff of the State House and read the riot act to them.
He was said to have informed them that the Presidency was one and that all efforts must be made to achieve the general goals.
This, The Point learnt, perhaps, informed the renewed vigour the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina and Senior Special Assistant, Mallam Garba Shehu, put into their jobs. While the President was away in the first quarter of the year, Adesina and Garba also allegedly went on a break as they left the management of the image of the Acting President to an overwhelmed Laolu Akande, who is Osinbajo’s media aide.
This situation, it was observed, has since changed as both media aides of the President have been jumping from one radio and television station to the other, explaining government activities. For example, a few minutes after Acting President Osinbajo read his broadcast on Monday May 29, this year, Femi Adesina was in the studios of the Nigerian Television Authority, analysing the broadcast and allied matters, while Shehu was also busy speaking on the Hausa Service of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria in Kaduna. Both have also featured in other stations to explain issues regarding the governance of the country.
Our correspondent also learnt that some ‘hawks’ in the Presidency had presented “wild, damning and alarming security reports” that the Acting President should limit his activities to the Villa. They said that Osinbajo would be embarrassed and might even be stoned if he ventured to visit one of the markets in Abuja, as he had proposed.
The Acting President, however, ignored the security reports, hopped into his official car and headed for the Model Market in Garki, Abuja, where he interacted with traders and their customers. At the market, he became the cynosure of all eyes. He was not only commended for visiting the market, but he was also given a pat on the back by some of his greatest critics for this gesture. But the cabal would not give up.
After plans had been made and invitation had been extended the previous day to Senate President Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, by the Presidency for the signing of the 2017 budget by Osinbajo on June 1, the cabal was said to have moved again to ensure the ceremony did not hold.
The Presidency was said to have cancelled the ceremony at the eleventh hour the previous day in a dramatic twist believed to have been the handiwork of the cabal.
A top Presidency source said that the signing of the budget by Osinbajo was stopped by the powerful cabal within Aso Rock, loyal to ailing President Buhari.
It was gathered that the cabal took the precipitate action against the acting president based on claims that Buhari was about to return to the country the following week.
The cabal was said to have insisted that the signing of the budget should wait since President Buhari would soon be returning to the country.
But in order not to be seen as being ambitious, the acting president was said to have given up on the signing of the budget without putting up any fight.
Controversy had surrounded the signing of the budget by Osinbajo with his media aide, Laolu Akande, saying that the acting president would do so whenever he was satisfied with it.
The National Assembly passed the budget on May 11, 2017, and it was transmitted to the Presidency on May 18, 2017.
Our correspondent gathered that Osinbajo backed down on signing the budget on June 1 to restrategise on how to further curtail the powerful cabal in the Presidency working against him.
More than a week after, the acting president finally gave his assent to the appropriation bill, signing the 2017 budget of N7.44 trillion into law.
Osinbajo’s action, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, however, said in a statement issued the previous day, followed a directive by President Muhammadu Buhari that the acting president should, without any further delay, sign the budget in the interest of the nation’s economy.
Shehu noted that the President’s directive was contained in a letter he (Buhari) wrote to the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma.
