SGF: Revealing The Devious Plan That Excluded Fashola
The latest appointments of President
Buhari came as surprise to many political onlookers who believed the
former Lagos governor, Babatunde Fashola, would be one of the key
appointees.
President Buhari on Thursday sidelined favourites to be nominees
including Fashola and the former governor Ogbonnonya Onu, and instead
appointed David Lawal, the national vice-chairman, northeast, of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) as the secretary to the government of the
federation (SGF). He also approved the former newspaper editor and
banker, Alhaji Abba Kyari, as chief of staff while the erstwhile chief
of staff to Buhari, Col. Hammed Ali (retd.) was appointed as the
comptroller general of the Nigerian Customs Service.
Fashola had been expected to be appointed for various reasons including his excellent performance as the Lagos state governor. However, it is suggested that the appointment of Fashola as chief of staff might put him in competition for power with the southwest APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Although Tinubu recently denied his personal involvement in the campaign against Fashola that included the publication of allegedly inflated contract awards by his administration, Tinubu’s close associates were, however, known to have deployed other political schemes to knock Fashola out of contention for either the position of SGF or chief of staff.
READ ALSO: Southerners Wailing? Nigerians React Bitterly To Buhari’s 6 New Appointments
Vanguard reveals that the ultimate weapon that was used in neutralizing Fashola was the nomination of a former commissioner in the Fashola administration as the deputy chief of staff to the president, but delegated to the office of the vice-president. It was reported that Ade Ipaye, who worked as attorney general and commissioner for justice in the second term of the Fashola administration, has been marked as the deputy chief of staff to the president with responsibilities of working under the vice-president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
This marking down of Ipaye is said to have been the political masterstroke used in knocking Fashola out of the chief of staff race. Sources also reveal that those against Fashola took advantage of the fact that Buhari is bent on operating a single presidency with only one chief of staff who would oversee the president’s affairs and a deputy chief of staff who would oversee the duties of the vice-president. Given that Ipaye was projected to work with Osinbajo, it became untenable to have another Lagosian in the person of Fashola work as chief of staff.
“You cannot have two of them from Lagos working as chief of staff and deputy chief of staff in the same government,” a source privy to the development disclosed.
Ipaye’s choice as deputy chief of staff was also accepted because he had worked as special assistant to Osinbajo before he was later appointed by Fashola. However, despite the uproar that Buhari’s appointments have been lopsided, there are reports that the appointment of Lawal as SGF was at the weekend being welcomed as move by Buhari to silence the cries of marginalization by northern minorities.
READ ALSO: 7 Things You Should Know About The Newly Appointed Nigerian Customs Service Boss
Lawal, a pastor and missionary from Adamawa state, became the first Christian from the north to get the high profile position of SGF. Sources said his appointment flowed from the confidence the president has in him arising from a long association. Lawal was a leading supporter of Buhari at the APC presidential primaries and helped to ensure that Buhari defeated Atiku Abubakar in Adamawa state and the northeast.
Besides his integrity and political ability that recommended him for the office, Lawal’s appointment as SGF was at the weekend also receiving critical acclaim by northern minorities on account of the long history of marginalisation of northern Christians over sensitive positions in the recent past.
However, one northern leader was not impressed yesterday saying that it was a move to lure the disenchanted northern minorities back to the agenda of one north. “This is just a move to woo the northern minorities back to the Hausa Fulani agenda before they will again humiliate us after they have achieved their purpose,” the northern leader, a former member of the National Assembly and presidential aide had said.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s latest appointments have divided northern socio-political groups.
President Buhari and Fashola
Fashola had been expected to be appointed for various reasons including his excellent performance as the Lagos state governor. However, it is suggested that the appointment of Fashola as chief of staff might put him in competition for power with the southwest APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Although Tinubu recently denied his personal involvement in the campaign against Fashola that included the publication of allegedly inflated contract awards by his administration, Tinubu’s close associates were, however, known to have deployed other political schemes to knock Fashola out of contention for either the position of SGF or chief of staff.
READ ALSO: Southerners Wailing? Nigerians React Bitterly To Buhari’s 6 New Appointments
Vanguard reveals that the ultimate weapon that was used in neutralizing Fashola was the nomination of a former commissioner in the Fashola administration as the deputy chief of staff to the president, but delegated to the office of the vice-president. It was reported that Ade Ipaye, who worked as attorney general and commissioner for justice in the second term of the Fashola administration, has been marked as the deputy chief of staff to the president with responsibilities of working under the vice-president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
This marking down of Ipaye is said to have been the political masterstroke used in knocking Fashola out of the chief of staff race. Sources also reveal that those against Fashola took advantage of the fact that Buhari is bent on operating a single presidency with only one chief of staff who would oversee the president’s affairs and a deputy chief of staff who would oversee the duties of the vice-president. Given that Ipaye was projected to work with Osinbajo, it became untenable to have another Lagosian in the person of Fashola work as chief of staff.
“You cannot have two of them from Lagos working as chief of staff and deputy chief of staff in the same government,” a source privy to the development disclosed.
Ipaye’s choice as deputy chief of staff was also accepted because he had worked as special assistant to Osinbajo before he was later appointed by Fashola. However, despite the uproar that Buhari’s appointments have been lopsided, there are reports that the appointment of Lawal as SGF was at the weekend being welcomed as move by Buhari to silence the cries of marginalization by northern minorities.
READ ALSO: 7 Things You Should Know About The Newly Appointed Nigerian Customs Service Boss
Lawal, a pastor and missionary from Adamawa state, became the first Christian from the north to get the high profile position of SGF. Sources said his appointment flowed from the confidence the president has in him arising from a long association. Lawal was a leading supporter of Buhari at the APC presidential primaries and helped to ensure that Buhari defeated Atiku Abubakar in Adamawa state and the northeast.
Besides his integrity and political ability that recommended him for the office, Lawal’s appointment as SGF was at the weekend also receiving critical acclaim by northern minorities on account of the long history of marginalisation of northern Christians over sensitive positions in the recent past.
However, one northern leader was not impressed yesterday saying that it was a move to lure the disenchanted northern minorities back to the agenda of one north. “This is just a move to woo the northern minorities back to the Hausa Fulani agenda before they will again humiliate us after they have achieved their purpose,” the northern leader, a former member of the National Assembly and presidential aide had said.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s latest appointments have divided northern socio-political groups.
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