There are indications that the President is considering the one time congress man, Adams Oshiomhole and former Deputy Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora, to take over the job of SGF, if Mr. Babachir David Lawal is indicted of his alleged accusation by the Yemi Osinbajo-led panel.
The president earlier in the week set up a panel to be headed by Vice-President Osinbajo, with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), as members to probe the suspended officials.
However, before the panel concludes its findings and submits its reports, reliable sources in the presidency, confirms that a shortlist was already being considered for Lawal’s replacement in the event of his indictment.
Lawal, who oversaw the management of PINE in his capacity as SGF, was alleged to have awarded a N220 million tree-cutting contract to his company, Rholavision Engineering Limited, in contravention of public sector rules barring government officials from awarding contracts to companies in which they have an interest.
Given the weight of evidence against him, Lawal is not likely to come out victorious in the probe, which prompted the President to shortlist a replacement for him.
A reliable presidency source said: “The general belief is that Babachir Lawal may not survive the findings of the probe panel, so a shortlist has been drawn up.
“Two names featured prominently on the list. They are Adams Oshiomhole and Olorunnimbe Mamora”.
It could be recalled that Buhari had on the expiration of the tenure of Oshiomhole in November last year, told the former labour leader that he deserved a federal appointment, having in his estimation done well as a two-term Governor of Edo State.
Although no one knew what the president actually had in mind when he made the remark, it was later believed that Oshiomhole might have been pencilled down as a possible replacement for the incumbent National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), since the office had been zoned to the south-south, the source volunteered.
But with the suspension of Lawal and inability of the APC to hold its national convention due to financial constraints, the presidency source said Oshiomhole has been listed as one of the candidates being considered as SGF.
About two weeks before Lawal’s suspension, Oshiomhole was sighted in the Presidential Villa where he had visited Buhari and held a closed-door meeting with him.
Although the purpose of the meeting was not made public, sources believed that it might not be unconnected with the consideration of the former governor for an appointment.
Read also: SGF & DG, NIA battles with suspension
Given the weight of evidence against him, Lawal is not likely to come out victorious in the probe, which prompted the President to shortlist a replacement for him.
A reliable presidency source said: “The general belief is that Babachir Lawal may not survive the findings of the probe panel, so a shortlist has been drawn up.
“Two names featured prominently on the list. They are Adams Oshiomhole and Olorunnimbe Mamora”.
It could be recalled that Buhari had on the expiration of the tenure of Oshiomhole in November last year, told the former labour leader that he deserved a federal appointment, having in his estimation done well as a two-term Governor of Edo State.
Although no one knew what the president actually had in mind when he made the remark, it was later believed that Oshiomhole might have been pencilled down as a possible replacement for the incumbent National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), since the office had been zoned to the south-south, the source volunteered.
But with the suspension of Lawal and inability of the APC to hold its national convention due to financial constraints, the presidency source said Oshiomhole has been listed as one of the candidates being considered as SGF.
About two weeks before Lawal’s suspension, Oshiomhole was sighted in the Presidential Villa where he had visited Buhari and held a closed-door meeting with him.
Although the purpose of the meeting was not made public, sources believed that it might not be unconnected with the consideration of the former governor for an appointment.
Read also: SGF & DG, NIA battles with suspension
Some officials in both the cabinet and presidency are pushing for Mamora for the job.
Mamora was recently dropped as a non-career ambassadorial nominee.
Those pushing for Mamora, it was learnt, were said to have held the position that the former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and two-term senator, was the most marginalized among those who worked assiduously for Buhari’s victory at the 2015 polls.
A reliable source noted that the wife of the president, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, is one of those who have been unhappy that Mamora, who was the Deputy Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation during the electioneering, has been left out in the cold since Buhari assumed office almost two years ago.
Mamora was recently dropped as a non-career ambassadorial nominee.
Those pushing for Mamora, it was learnt, were said to have held the position that the former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and two-term senator, was the most marginalized among those who worked assiduously for Buhari’s victory at the 2015 polls.
A reliable source noted that the wife of the president, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, is one of those who have been unhappy that Mamora, who was the Deputy Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation during the electioneering, has been left out in the cold since Buhari assumed office almost two years ago.
The presidency source said when Mrs. Buhari came out openly last year to express displeasure that some individuals who worked diligently for her husband’s election victory had been abandoned while those who were not part of the campaign had been rewarded with appointments, Mamora was actually top on the list of those she was referring to.
It was also learnt that some government officials favourably disposed to Mamora had met with Buhari before he traveled for his medical vacation on January 19 and strongly made a case for the former senator.
It was also learnt that the meeting with the president had led to his decision to remove Mamora’s name from the list of non-career ambassadorial nominees, because the thinking was that the former lawmaker deserved a better appointment.
Their argument, was learnt, was that having waited for over one and a half years then, sending him out of his base would not be helpful for his political future.
Dr. Habibat Lawan, who is presently the acting SGF, appears to be scheming to ensure that she is made the substantive SGF despite being a career civil servant.
But those privy to her ambition have said her chances of clinching the job are very slim because she is a civil servant and the post of SGF over time has been made a political appointment.
We hope to know who keeps or pitch the exalted SGF post in the coming week.
It was also learnt that the meeting with the president had led to his decision to remove Mamora’s name from the list of non-career ambassadorial nominees, because the thinking was that the former lawmaker deserved a better appointment.
Their argument, was learnt, was that having waited for over one and a half years then, sending him out of his base would not be helpful for his political future.
Dr. Habibat Lawan, who is presently the acting SGF, appears to be scheming to ensure that she is made the substantive SGF despite being a career civil servant.
But those privy to her ambition have said her chances of clinching the job are very slim because she is a civil servant and the post of SGF over time has been made a political appointment.
We hope to know who keeps or pitch the exalted SGF post in the coming week.
SGF succession: Oshiomhole & Mamora makes the list
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April 24, 2017
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Reviewed by Unknown
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April 24, 2017
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