Abba Kyari: Chaos looms in Presidency

The death of Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday is perceived to have created power vacuum in the Presidency. Many considered Abba Kyari to be governing Nigeria on behalf of President Buhari. Kyari was construed in some quarters as Nigeria’s de facto President while Buhari was de jure but passive President.

More so, Abba Kyari was considered the stronghold of the cabal in the Nigerian presidency. He was recommended to President Buhari by Mamman Daura, another strong man in the Nigerian presidency.

Some stakeholders envisage that Mamman Daura, a nephew of the President, would want to play himself deeper into the power structure in the Presidency to consolidate his hegemony of the State House.

Meanwhile, Daura is being isolated from President Buhari since Kyari tested positive to coronavirus on his return from Germany. Also, it is conceived that age may be catching up with Daura who was said to be in his early 80s.

Then, Babagana Kingibe, who has been acting as Chief of Staff to President Buhari while Abba Kyari was on Coronavirus treatment may be ambitious to grab the power in the Nigerian presidency. Though, Babagana Kingibe is also old like others in the seat of power, his machination skills in power struggle may make up for the age deficiency.

This could throw the Nigerian presidency into the dynamic vibrancy of the younger generation led by the wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari, who has over the years schemed to the outskirt of the power structure in the Abba Kyari regime.

Aisha had at different times raised alarm about the cabal in the Presidency. She has persistently refused to be silenced.

Aisha’s advocacy for good governance and critics of government failures endeared her to the love of majority Nigerians.

Aisha Buhari is being perceived to have began the struggle for a new power structure in the Presidency the moment Kyari departed the State House for coronavirus treatment. She is believed to have influenced the redeployment of the Permanent Secretary, State House, Jalal Arabi, to another department.  The perm sec was conceived a protege of Abba Kyari.

Furthermore, the remains of the cabal may rise to fight back. There are indications that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, may lead the remains of the cabal Kyari left behind to hold on to the hegemony of the State House. The President’s media aides may have real battle to fight to sustain the Kyari cabal for personal survival.

Some stakeholders were of the view that the SGF, Boss Mustapha, was already acting like the apparent heir to the throne of the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari in subtle ways.

Some project the subsequently, the conflagration in the Presidency may open cracks in Buhari’s power bloc. Then, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and/or the All Progressives Congress national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, may take advantage of the cracks to build inroads and possibly inherit the throne.