By Innocent Okon Reuben Abati, erstwhile spokesperson to former President, Goodluck Jonathan, immediately leaving office in 2015, taxed and tasked himself to do some series on power, authority, influence and even spiritual factor in Aso Rock, the official abode of Nigerian Presidents. In one of the treatise, he pointed out that no President exercises power alone! According to him, there are some people in the Presidential corridors, living rooms and Guest Houses who enjoy limitless access to the President. This select group, from his submission, would always have the ears of the President on burning national political and economic policies, actions and inactions. Abati was not afraid to mention Chief Edwin Clark, one-time Minister of Information and Niger Delta chieftain, as one of the few political top brass from the oil-rich region that enjoyed both the possession of cotton bud and the listening ears of then President Jonathan. It is trite to imagine the benefits such privileges could confer on any mortal in a materialistic and class conscious clime like Nigeria! But if the truth must be told, no government of any hue, be it democratic or dictatorship, can do without such select people behind the ruler or leader. They may be called kitchen cabinet, caucus or cabal, but the purpose remains to protect, preserve and defend identified socio-economic, political and religious interests in the polity. During President Shehu Shagari's administration, the arrowhead of his kitchen cabinet was Umaru Dikko, his all powerful Transport Minister. Dikko was more than a Minister. As super Minister, he once told Nigerians in 1983 that God cannot bless MkO Abiola with money and political power at the same time! He was not afraid of battles. In 1983, he told senators screening him for confirmation as a Minister that there was no hunger in the land, because there was no evidence that any Nigerian was eating from the dust bin! In General Sani Abacha maximum rulership, the nation witnessed the powerful role of Major Al-Mustapha, his Chief Security Officer. Mustapha didn't only have Abacha's ears, he also has his mouth and eyes, figuratively speaking. Senator Andy Uba, then a special Assistant to the President, was also reportedly a man Friday during the Presidential years of Olusegun Obasanjo. Muhammadu Buhari has been with us since 2015 on the Presidential saddle, and the role of the icabal in his administration maybe denied, but it is very obvious. There are super Ministers that you can only step on their toes at your peril! From the utterances of these select group, you are wont to conclude that they can predict the thoughts and actions of their Principal.[caption id="attachment_1851" align="alignleft" width="360"] Attorney General and Minister of Justice[/caption]
Abubakar Malami is the Attorney General of the Federation and Chief Law officer, but wields enormous power in the cabinet. The nation and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are waiting breathlessly on AGF Malami to determine the fate of the amended Electoral Bill, which has been serially amended, some at the behest of the Executive.
The last he commented on the Bill, he was quoted as saying he would never implore the President to assent to the Electoral Bill if some clauses, in his opinion, would still work against the interest of Nigerians!
Tell me, does interest of Nigeria and Nigerians now reside exclusively in one public officer? So, the collective intelligence of the members of both the Green and Red chambers of the National Assembly who considered and effected the amendments after sessions with critical stakeholders across the nation is suspect and attracts no respect and sanctity?
National elections are some months away, but the legal roadmap, which is the Electoral Bill, is still in the works! And this is happening in an administration that has a renowned Professor of Law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) as a Vice President. Who still argues that there aren’t those who have the ears of the President than others in Aso Rock?