Olusegun Bamgbose, National Coordinator, Concerned Advocates for Good Governance, CAGG, has noted that the senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba is now de facto leader of Nigeria.
He called on President Buhari to address Nigerians as soon as possible, adding that Shehu lacks the constitutional right to act as President of Nigeria.
Bamgbose, a chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, also lamented that the office of the Vice President has been relegated to the background with Shehu taken charge at the Presidency .
According to the senior lawyer, Nigerians no longer know when Shehu is airing his personal opinion or speaking the mind of the President.
Bamgbose was angered by the recent reactions of the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and Shehu, to the outcome of the recent Southern Governors’ meeting in Asaba Delta State.
The Governors had met to deliberate on the security challenges facing their region and thus pronounced a ban on open grazing.
Malami had kicked against the governors’ decision, comparing open grazing by herders, to spare parts dealers in the North.
And a few days later, Shehu came up to rescue the situation by informing Nigerians that the resolutions of the Southern Governors were of questionable legality.
Bamgbose described this as ridiculous, adding that it clearly shows that the Presidency is uncoordinated.
“Nigerians are confused as to identify who exactly is in control of the affairs of this nation,” he told DAILY POST.
“When the Presidency discovered that the statement of Malami could not sail through, Garba Shehu came up to rescue the situation by informing Nigerians that the resolutions of the Southern Governors were of questionable legality.
“It was equally reported that President Buhari backed Malami’s stand on the resolutions of the Southern Governors. This scenario has clearly shown that the Presidency is highly uncoordinated.
“One won’t be wrong to assert that we have multiple presidencies in Nigeria, in essence, we have more than one President in Nigeria.
“In the real sense of it, Buhari may not be in charge. We now have proxies ruling this nation. This is tantamount to the bastardization of the presidency.
“Why won’t President Buhari who went round the country to campaign, come out and address the nation on a national TV broadcast?
“Garba Shehu has now become the de facto leader of Nigeria. One does not know when he is airing his personal opinion or speaking the mind of the President.
“I think it’s high time President Buhari addressed the nation. Garba Shehu lacks the constitutional right to act as President of Nigeria.
“This confusion in the Presidency must be brought to an end. Its most unfortunate that the office of the Vice President has been relegated to the background. This is a constitutional mess. We need to correct this abnormally in the Presidency.
“This is why we must have to embrace National dialogue. We need to give room for restructuring of the country.
“Nigerians don’t understand what is going on in the Presidency. Every Dick, Harry, and Tom claim to speak for the Presidency. This is not helping matters. This is belittling the Presidency.”
