By ABUBAKAR YUSUF.
Rt Honorable Femi Gbajabiamiala, the immediate past speaker of the House of Representatives and new Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, no doubt is celebrated year in year out with fanfare and commendation not only for his high profile position as the number four citizen, but his genuine disposition to public service in the country.
For Gbajabiamiala who had spent many decades in the national assembly his unique disposition had won him into many hearts before his new ascension as Chief of Staff in the Presidency.
Having achieved so much in all ramifications, let’s us not prove the cynics right so early as some of his colleagues had fought him to a stand still by even calling names in reference to him that “they are not the owner of Nigeria.”
This is coming just few months after the victory and swearing in of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu some Yoruba elements allegedly led by the new Chief of Staff had formed a “cabal” around Mr President, to the extent that nobody sees the President without them.
This is too early and fresh in our memory, as cabal kept operating around the former administration of Ex-President Muhammadu Buhari that attracted the hue and cry of the wife of the President, Dr Aisha Muhammadu Buhari.
Inspite of her protest and public discountenance, the cabals kept their operations fully and mildly till the end of the last administration, that teleguided most of the activities of the federal government from appointments and so many government activities.
The ugly situations though, nip in the bud after the death of the former chief of staff to President Buhari , Abba Kyari and the appointment of Professor Ibrahim Gambari, a seasoned technocrat, administrator and diplomat of high repute who brought some level of sanity to governance in the twilight of the last administration.
After the appointment of Rt Honorable Femi Gbajabiamiala alot of accolades went to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the choice of his new Chief of Staff with his indepth knowledge in all areas.
But , reports filtering into the public domain was that another set of cabal empire has emanated, sidelining some notable Northern leaders who were seen as threat to the new Yoruba oligarchy and cabal like allegedly led by the new sherrif in town and Chief of Staff, Rt Honorable Femi Gbajabiamiala.
The vibrant Northern oligarchy recognised by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and unknowingly to the President have already gone to town with large baggage of complains of how they are been denied access to the President even to the extent of not attending Friday Jumaat mosque at the villa.
On a particular occasion, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu refused to attend weekly Friday Jumaat prayers when he sought for them and were not available to lead Mr President to the mosque.
The roles of the Northerners sorrounding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot be downplayed aside running the administration, keeping the President afloat in the area of religious obligation cannot be overlooked.
Aside all these, the northern figures were responsible for the landslide victory of the APC in the last election, couple with President Tinubu’s non discriminatory stance towards the Nigeria polity.
President Tinubu’s soft spot towards the north was prominent in the last election that led to his acceptance and the launching of one of his colloquiums in the northern Nigeria, before he became President of Nigeria.
It is too early to constitute cabal around President Tinubu who innocently and unknowingly may not be aware, as “Emilokan” should not be extended into the day to day administration of this country.
President Tinubu should be allowed to dine and wine with all critical areas and stakeholders of the country, so as to solidify his new administration towards reviving the age long damages done to all facets of our national life.
It will be too early to justify the alarm already raised by some sections of the country that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be hijacked by the Yoruba parapo , a decision that may not go down with Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Yusuf Is A Public Affairs Analyst, Writes from Ogbomosho, Oyo State.
