Speculations that former Department of State Services (DSS) chief Lawal Daura’s sack caused a division in the Presidency were debunked yesterday.
The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, who fielded questions from journalists during the post-FEC briefing at the Villa, said the Presidency is one and Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has the power of the president.
He pointed out that President Muhammadu Buhari has duly transmitted power to the Acting President before embarking on his holiday in London.
He also dismissed the insinuation that there was power tussle in the Presidency.
He said “What we will like to say for the umpteenth time is that the presidency is one. Whenever the President is proceeding on vacation he transmit power to the Vice President, who then become the acting president. On this occasion he also did that.
“So the acting President has all the powers of a president. Now it’s a matter of decency and we know that the acting President is a decent man.
“There is no tussle for power, there is no tough battle between him and the president.
“When something like what happened yesterday will happen, there will be unanimity. There is no way there won’t be unanimity on that kind of decision.
“It’s not something that will be discussed with the press but know that there was unanimity in the decision.” he stated.
Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters Senator Babafemi Ojudu said yesterday that Acting President Yemi Osinbajo did the right thing by sacking Daura.
Senator Ojudu, speaking on Channels Television, said: “He (Osinbajo) has just done what is right in the circumstance and not after praise.
“We were shocked to see the DSS operatives at the National Assembly, particularly hooded and it was very embarrassing to the Acting President and we then went out to seek information.”
The presidential aide noted that the decision of the DSS DG might be as a result of a misleading information or report of complicity within the security agency.
Ojudu said: “The Acting President was not informed, he was not told. If you are going to take such a measure as a security chief, you need to consult with the Commander-in-Chief of the country.
“If you sensed that trouble was coming and you then decided to barricade, the Chief Security Officer of the country needed to be informed and consulted. Then he would tell you whether it is right to do so or not right to do so,” he added.
When asked if President Buhari was consulted before Daura was sacked, the presidential aide noted, “The Acting President is the Acting President; whether he (President Buhari) was consulted or not, I don’t think it is important in this matter.”
“What is important is that the Acting President finds something that does not augur well for our democracy and he acted quickly and reassured Nigerians and the rest of the world that our democracy is on course,” he said.