An All Progressives Congress member has said that the post of the Chief of Staff is more powerful than the Vice President.
Abba Kyari and Yemi Osinbajo
Akin Alabi, House of Representatives member representing Egbeda/Ona federal constituency, has added his voice to the criticism trailing President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari after he travelled with a bill to London for the President's assent.
Alabi pointed out that in a presidential system of government as practiced in Nigeria, the position of the Chief of Staff is more powerful than that of the Vice President.
This view has elicited seriious backlash from Nigerians.
Recall that Kyari presented the amended Deep Offshore Act to Buhari in London on Monday.
However, the lawmaker insisted that the Chief of Staff is the assistant President.
In a series of tweets, Alabi pointed out that the Vice President is “merely a stand-in for the president.”
He wrote: “Whether you like it or not, in a presidential system of government (eg, US, Nigeria), the post of the Chief of Staff is more “powerful” than that of the Vice President. He is the assistant President. The Vice President is a stand-in for the president.
“It is NOT the duty of the Vice President to take a bill to the president. It’s the job of an assistant. Like the Chief of Staff.
“The Vice President has been excellent performing his constitutional duties and the ones assigned to him.
“If the President decides NOT to see Vice President Osinbajo as a PA, which I don’t think he should, then I’m 100% in support of that.
“I understand the political agenda of the noisemakers but anyone ready to learn should learn.
“I don’t know whether there are problems between the Chief if Staff and the Vice President.
Maybe there is. It’s politics and it happens everywhere. But with this bill signing issue, there is nothing out of the ordinary for the Chief of staff to bring a document for the president.”