Presidency urges Nigerians to ignore list of Osinbajo’s sacked aides. Is this a confirmation of intrigues and power play in Aso Rock?

The Presidency on Thursday asked Nigerians to disregard the list of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo aides allegedly sacked by the presidency, insisting that the list is not genuine.

The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande, stated this on his Twitter handle.

The list of the 35 aides of the Vice President reportedly sacked by the Presidency was made public on Wednesday.

Some of the affected aides are special advisers, senior special assistants and technical assistants.

Read also: Nigerian govt attacking the media in furtherance of a third term agenda, Falana alleges

Listed among the sacked aides were Jibola Ajayi, daughter of former Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, and Babajide, grandson of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who is also the grandfather of Osinbajo’s wife, Dolapo.

“A list circulating in the media on the so-called sacked presidential aides is not genuine and ought to be ignored,” he tweeted.

There were unconfirmed reports that aides were sacked on the order of the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari.

Whatever it is, the latest denial by the Presidency on the sacked aides may have confirmed the intrigues and power play in the seat of power.

Now that the Presidency has denied the list, is it suggesting that a genuine list is on the way?

Just two days ago, the foremost critic of the Nigerian government, Femi Fani-Kayode, highlighted what he described as acts of humiliation of Vice President Osinbajo.

He referred to President Buhari’s signing of the Deep Offshore Act in London and the alleged sacking of Osinbajo’s aides by the Presidency.

In a tweet on his verified Twitter handle, @realFFK, Fani-Kayode mocked Osinbajo for the perceived ill-treatment being meted out to him by the Presidency.

He wrote: “His helicopter crashed but instead of him to proceed to a hospital his boss asked him to continue sharing trader money.

“A SAN and Prof. of Law, yet under him lawlessness is practised: he deputises for a fellow who has no proof of both primary and secondary education.

“They took a Bill to the United Kingdom for your boss to sign and publicised it to further humiliate you.

“As an ERRAND boy, your boss sent a junior Minister to represent him in an event that you were present.

“A real ERRAND boy… They have removed all your aides from Aso Villa to a rented apartment in Maitama.

“ERRAND boy, you went and knelt before Abba Kyari to stop the criminal investigation against you.

“We told you this would happen but you refused to listen. Today, your two bosses, Tinubu and Buhari, are against you.

“As for your Pastorship, well, we don’t know again.”

 

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