Fresh mix-up in Presidency: Shehu Garba, Femi Adesina take over Buhari’s presidential authority?

The Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Shehu Garba, on Monday covertly revealed that himself and the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, have now assumed the status of the president, adding that whatever statement they make should be taken as the statement of President Buhari. Some stakeholders in the polity, however, are skeptical that, perhaps, Shehu Garba’s revelation on Monday may also account for several decisions made by the Buhari administration, including political appointments. The stakeholders wondered if such exaggeration by the SSA Media and Publicity to the president would not worsen the fear of Nigerians over who is actually in charge of the federal government under the Buhari administration.They pointed out that all statements from the presidency must be approved by the president before they go public. They maintained that personal opinions as Garba and Adesina may have shown over time cannot be taken to be the president’s statements on critical national issues. They added that the president has a duty to make broadcasts on turbulent national crises. The stakeholders insisted that speaking for the president cannot equate the president speaking to Nigerian citizens.

Shehu Garba had on Channels Television morning programme – Sunrise Daily – monitored from Lagos disputed the criticism of the president by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinaya Abaribe, over noticeable silence on the herdsmen violence and crimes across Nigeria. Shehu Garba countered Abaribe’s criticism, saying that the president has not been silent on the insecurity crisis in the country as said by the Senate Minority Leader. He maintained that the statements emanating from him and the S.A., Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina, should be accepted as being ‘synonymous’ with statements of the president.

Garba, however, pointed out that the president has been taking actions to contain the crime wave in the country, and requires the cooperation of all Nigerians to succeed.

The S.S.A. Media had declared: “When Femi Adesina or myself speaks for the President, people should accept that it is the President that is speaking.

“For this President, it is the actions that should speak for him. He is not a showman. He does not have to be there.

“And let us be understood, we are not trying to personalise anything. Senator Abaribe dwelt a lot, attacking President Muhammadu Buhari, saying that he has not, even at a rhetorical level, spoken against this kind of violence.

“That is most uncharitable. This country has problems. It requires the involvement of everyone. All hands must be on deck.”