Abba Kyari Is Assistant President, More Powerful Than Osinbajo – Lawmaker

A House of Representatives member representing Egbeda/Ona federal constituency, Akin Alabi, has weighed in on the criticism that President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari travelled with a bill to London for Buhari’s assent.

Alabi noted 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.

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.”