Former presidential spokesman, Laolu Akande, has shed light on the inner workings of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, stating that many actions were often carried out in the name of the President without his direct approval or instigation.
Akande, who served in the office of the immediate-past Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, made this known during an interview on Channels Television’s breakfast show – Sunrise Daily – on Friday, while discussing the recent controversy surrounding the appointment of sole administrators for local government areas in Rivers State by the state’s Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).
LEADERSHIP reports that some Nigerians have questioned whether Ibas, an appointee of President Bola Tinubu, has the constitutional right to exercise such powers.
Explaining how decisions are made within the nation’s corridor of power, Akande said, “Let me explain how the corridors of power operate. A lot of things get done in the name of the president that ultimately the president may not be the one instigating. But what you then find is that the president, depending on how he thinks about it, may decide to act like he didn’t see it—or, if he really feels it’s not something he approves, then he withdraws.”
His comments followed growing public concern over President Tinubu’s silence on the controversial local government appointments in Rivers State, which many believed signifies his approval.
Pressed by the show host on why Nigerians might interpret the president’s silence as complicity, Akande responded, “The president has been away on a retreat (in France), so let’s see what happens because there’s quite a bit of clamour. There are those who still believe that the president will probably see reasons. I know some of his allies who don’t agree with this thing (state of emergency in Rivers State), and they told him that he shouldn’t do it, so I think the president himself is trying to sort this thing out.”
He also weighed in on the comparison between President Tinubu’s action on Rivers State and former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s prior similar actions in Plateau and Ekiti States, cautioning against lowering the standards of governance, “I know people are saying Obasanjo did worse, but Obasanjo and Tinubu have different pedigrees in Nigeria’s politics. It will be utterly disappointing if Tinubu does worse than Obasanjo.”
