THE alleged cold war between President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo got another twist, as 35 aides working with Osinbajo were shown the exit door by the Presidency according to a Daily Trust report.
The exclusive report listed the affected aides involved in the disengagement of service from the office of the Presidency include Ajibola Ajayi, appointed Special Assistant, SA, Legal to the President (VP’s office) in August. She is also the daughter of Abiola Ajimobi, former governor of Oyo state, Lanre Osinbona, Senior Special Assistant, SSA, on ICT and Imeh Okon, SSA on Infrastructure.
The list also contains Aondaver Kuttuh, Technical Assistant, TA, rule of law; Ife Adebayo, SA, innovation; Yussuf Ali, SA, power regulations; Tola Asekun, SSA, National Boundary Commission; Morakinyo Beckley, SA, off-grid power; Yosola Akinbi, SSA, NEC; Tochi Nwachukwu, SA, power privatisation; Bode Gbore, SSA, political; Abdulrahman Baffa Yola, SA, political and Kolade Sofola, SA, infrastructure.
Others include Jide Awolowo, SA, Oil & Gas, grandson of Obafemi Awolowo, statesman and grandfather of Osinbajo’s wife; Gambo Manzo, SA Political; Edobor Iyamu, SSA, Niger Delta; Akin Soetan, Senior Technical Assistant, STA, on Economic matters; Ebi Awosika, SSA, community engagement; Muyiwa Abiodun, SA, power; Forri Samson – Banu, SA, entrepreneurship; Bege Bala, SA, BPE; Feyishayo Aina, SSA, community engagement; Halima Bawa, SA, community engagement; Nkechi Chukwueka, SA, community engagement, and Ilsa Essien, SA, media.
“The letters were distributed to the affected aides through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. They were not working within the precinct of the presidential villa,” an anonymous source in the report stated.
The report hinted that Osinbajo had retrieved the sack letters from the affected aides “pending the return of the president.”
The vice president had over 80 aides who were deployed in many strategic positions, with sources around the corridors of power saying the recent attention around the vice president was aimed at diminishing his influence.
Though, the office of the Presidency is yet to officially announce the termination of their appointments and their portfolios.
The report attributes the sack of the aides of the vice president, to rising tension over the country’s seat of power between Osinbajo and President Buhari with regards to the 2023 presidential election.
President Buhari is currently on a 15-day private visit to the United Kingdom, and he is expected back in the country on November 17.
Amos Abba is a journalist with the International Center for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, who believes that courageous investigative reporting is the key to social justice and accountability in the society.