The Insights by Lateef Adewole
“Egbinrin ote, b’aase npakan, n’ikan n ruwe” (the shoot of conspiracy, as we kill one, another sprouts up). When are we really going to have a respite in Nigeria from all the political dramas? It is one week, one issue. The latest trending one has to do with no less a person, but our amiable, erudite vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo. In the past few weeks, there have been series of activities that happened within the presidency and the FG generally, which many interpreted as targeting the vice president. Personally, I have restrained myself from commenting on it till now.
In the past two years, I have written about two articles, focus of which was the President Muhammadu Buhari. I have never had the cause to do same about Professor Osinbajo, for my belief that there is only one presidency and with the kind of relationship that “existed” between the President and his vice, and the latter’s loyalty to the former, unalloyed.
He also threw himself into his job, as delegated to him by President Buhari, in the past four years. And to be fair, apart from few instances where things happened in unexpected ways, he has done relatively well. He remained a pillar of support for the administration and has kept it afloat where needed, especially in the time of turbulence. The crescendo was during the last election. He was phenomenon during the campaigns. He was all over the place.
However, in the past few months, since the turn of their second term, things seem to be taking different dimensions. Even when the supporters of the APC, government and President Buhari keep denying it, all that have been happening is an indication that something is definitely not right. There is no smoke without fire.
The optics are different from what they want us to believe. Firstly, the earlier supposed “handing” over power to the Chief of Staff (CoS) by President Buhari, when, at the ministers’ retreat, he directed that all meetings and other activities for him should be routed through the CoS. This generated a lot of controversies. Though, that was not out of place but for the kind of politics we play in Nigeria.
Then, series of events have taken place in the last few weeks that were wittingly or unwittingly directed at the vice president, which were aimed at whittling down the influence and power he currently wields. Many saw these as a way of curtailing the rising profile of Professor Osinbajo, whom many are already projecting as the likely successor to the president, come 2023. However, some people within the corridors of power seem uncomfortable with such possibility.
Suddenly, campaigns of calumny from different quarters began to surface. Allegations of corruption against him began to fly around. He was accused of not following due process in his supervision of the agencies under his purview. While it is commendable to probe and appropriately investigate any wrongdoing in the office of the vice president, it should not go in the ways of those in the past, where people were accused and even arrested, subjected to media trials, without any concrete evidence against them.
On a lighter note, can we say that the VP is also reaping from the fruits he helped to sow? I say this because, he has also been part of making “bogus” accusations against officials of the past administrations, with little or no serious evidence, something that characterised their administration in the last four years. A typical case of “what goes around comes around”. We hope he learnt his lessons from all of these.
In his characteristic mannerism, usual calmness and openness, the vice president said he is ready to waive his immunity to enable proper investigation of all those allegations and allow him to clear his name. After all, clear conscience fears no accusation. As of now, almost all the agencies of government under his management and control have been removed. They were put in newly established ministry, given to others or completely disbanded. They include NEMA, NPC, NIPSS, NDPHC, NBC, BCDA, SIP, etc.
Just last week Thursday, the Economic Advisory Council (EAC), was inaugurated by President Buhari, to whom they will report directly, and simultaneously he disbanded the Economic Management Team (EMT) which Prof. Osinbajo chaired while it lasted. Not even a member of EMT is included in the EAC. These actions were perceived as subtly passing a “vote of no confidence” on Osinbajo and his entire team by President Buhari, whether rightly or not.
It is just unfortunate that such council is caught up in the current political shenanigans in the presidency. This is because, this EAC team happened to be the best team the president has assembled since his inauguration in first term. It is made up of tested, trusted and seasoned technocrats, devoid of the usual sycophantic colouration, nepotistic tendency or political patronage. Some of them are even critics of the President Buhari’s economic actions in the last four years.
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The rudest shock was the news that many of the aides working in the office of the vice president will henceforth, operates from outside the villa (that rumour was not denied till date). They were more or less, thrown out. These are few of such controversial actions, which are in the open, that raised the suspicion of deliberate attacks on the vice president. How many more to come remains to be seen.
In all of these, a certain unknown “cabal” within the presidency is always blamed for them. While in reality, all the bucks stop at the president’s table. None of such decisions could be taken and actions implemented without the express approval of President Buhari. So, why blame a faceless cabal? Whatever the case, the president should, and must be held responsible for all the actions.
The supposed offence of Professor Osinbajo was due to his actions when he was the Acting President, when the president took ill in 2016/17. His submission of Onnoghe’s name to the NASS for confirmation and subsequently swearing-in him in as substantive CJN miffed the “cabal”. The speedy sack of the former DG of the DSS, Lawan Daura, was seen as an affront. He also out rightly and promptly exonerated his office from the issue of the controversial RUGA palava, when Miyetti Allah and other northern groups tried to use him as a cover.
When the president was sick in 2016, and he acted as president, both friends and foes were unanimous in their acknowledgement and acceptability of his leadership capacity, intellectual prowess, managerial dexterity, effectiveness in communication and this ease with which he forms relationships necessary for the unity of the different divided parts of Nigeria, irrespective of party affiliations, tribal inclinations, religious doctrines or social status. He was loved by all. And still being loved.
On numerous occasions where he has to represent his boss at both local and international engagements, he was always exceptional. We were always proud of him. Yet, he has remained humble and loyal to President Buhari. All these also counted against him in the book of the cabal.
And with the 2023 presidency projected to go back to the South, with South West being favoured based on realistic political calculations, Osinbajo stands head and shoulder above the rest of the people who may show interest, in clinching the slot. That, the “cabal” will never want happened, hence these machinations at early stage.
My take on this is that, if indeed, all these actions as sanctioned by President Buhari, are targeted at decimating the VP and reduce his soaring political profile, just for the sake of keeping him out of 2023 presidential race, then, President Buhari is not sincere. It means all his claims to patriotism are all lies. It means he is actually more concerned about serving “certain selfish interests” than the masses he always use as alibi that he wants to “save”. That will amount to betrayal of trust.
While it is within the constitutional powers of Mr. President to assign responsibilities to his vice and it is his prerogative how he chooses to go about it, the truth of the matter is that, the strength of this administration in the past four years, has been the indivisibility and mutual trust that existed between President Buhari and Professor Yemi Osinbajo. Doing things that will reverse such gains can be the undoing of this government.
Ultimately, any action taken that has the propensity to rock the boat of stability within the presidency will dovetail to inhibition of the progress being pursued and those so far made by this government. And it is the entire citizens of Nigeria who will be worse for it. The sour taste of the crisis that bedeviled the second term of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar can still be felt in our mouths. The far reaching consequences of it have refused to go away. They have haunted the two of them till date.
So, President Buhari should never allowed fifth columnists to infiltrate their ranks and destroy the enviable relationship he has had and enjoyed with his vice, since 2015, for whatever reason. He should let the interests of Nigeria and Nigerians supersede any selfish, parochial, tribalistic or nepotistic interests. Nigeria is bigger than any individual or tribe.
The equanimity with which the VP has taken all these in their strides, simply portray a person with high tolerance level, spirit of forgiveness and openness. All powers belong to God and He gives to whoever He chooses. Whatever will happen in 2023, will definitely happen. But we can only hope for the best for our country, Nigeria. Whoever is behind all these needs to stop it right now. There is no other country we can call our own. Enough is enough!
God Bless Nigeria.
Lateef Adewole is a political analyst and social commentator can be reached by email lateefadewole23@gmail.com or via WhatsApp +2348020989095
