Tinubu’s first week in Aso Rock

In this piece, LEON USIGBE looks at the first week of assumption of President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.

Senator Bola Tinubu came into the presidential villa to get acquainted with its inner recesses on May 26, a few days before his inauguration as president. He was in the company of the then President Muhammadu Buhari. Presidency officials conducted them round some key work spaces including the briefing room which doubles as the media centre. It would be only the second time in his eight years tenure that President Buhari would come in there to experience the full complement of the membership of the State House Press Corps.

The first was when he came into villa for the first time as president in 2015. His special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, made him pass through the room where he spent a considerable amount of time interacting and posing for photos with all the reporters present.  But, things changed quickly when he settled down. He became shrouded, first, because of his illness and second, possibly because of the need to manage his public utterances.  From that point on, he came across only select-few journalists that were allowed into his presence daily. Others relied on these privileged journalists or official press statements for their new stories.

So, coming into the briefing room on May 26 and confronted with the sight of about a hundred media men in the space, Buhari looked a bit surprised when his State Chief of Protocol, Lawal Kazuare, apprised him and Tinubu of the functions and occupants of the room.

His demeanour did not suggest that he was aware he had so many in-house journalists working with him. He looked round the room perfunctorily and soon walked past with the incoming president without saying as much as saying “Hello” to the horde of disappointed journos who had spent the larger part of the morning strategising on how to take them on during the scheduled visit. It was the last time the Press Corps would sight Buhari from close range. His denouement happened without the chance for goodbyes.

After his inauguration, Tinubu resumed duties in the presidential villa as president on May 30.  It was not a smooth start. He arrived at the forecourt of his office nearly two hours after the scheduled time. That was a new experience for villa workers, who are used to the promptness of the last eight years. Unlike Buhari’s first time out, Tinubu came in a motorcade laden with most of his campaign aides, some of whom were heard shouting, “Open this door,” as they tussled with security to gain access into the president’s office without the mandatory security clearance.

The lack of coordination between the campaign aides and the villa establishment was apparent from that day, accentuated by the president’s failure to make prompt appointments of particularly the chief of staff and the special adviser on media and publicity. Precedents indicate that these appointments are made on the first day by the new president to help him bed in quickly.

The chief of staff is the gatekeeper between the president and visitors to his office. The occupant of the office is the president’s chief adviser, his most senior personal aide, controls access to the commander-in-chief and therefore, the most consequential political appointee in the presidency. With the absence of a chief of staff, President Tinubu found himself working without the customary schedule.

As visitors streamed into the villa in the first few days, there was confusion as to who should be allowed to see him.  Regular presidential security personnel at the various checking points were often seen questioning themselves on what to do with people without access tags that were keen to muscle their ways through just because they are known to the new president.

In the crowd that came in with the president on the first day were many reporters and cameramen who provided him coverage during and after the election campaign and were apparently of the impression that they had automatic villa accreditation.  Without the villa access tag, this group provided some extra headache for the security personnel.

The confusion of the first few days extended beyond these unaccredited media men wanting to cover the president to the issuance of official statements on his activities.  Several press releases were churned out on behalf of the president by different writers without designations.  Tunde Rahman, Bayo Onanuga, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz and Tope Ajayi, all campaign spokesperson for the president, who came with him to the villa, soon realised the incongruity of their style with the structure that comes with the media focal point provided by the office of the special adviser. They urged for patience, confident that things will take normal shape as soon as the necessary structures are in place.

 

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Oyedepo, Enenche, others not fake for supporting Obi – Primate Ayodele 
The leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has cautioned Nigerians from referring to Bishop Oyedepo, Pastor Paul Enenche, and…

WEEK BRIEF: Tinubu Presidency, fuel subsidy saga and NLC war drums  
On May 29, Bola Ahmed Tinubu became the 16th president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was sworn in as President of Nigeria by…

Why I sacked Auxiliary as PMS boss — Makinde   
Following the clash of interest that ensued between the former Chairman of disciplinary committee of the Park Management System in…

I met my wife virgin at 21 — Isreal DMW   
Superstar Davido’s aide, Isreal Afeare aka Isreal DMW, has responded to critics who were trolling him over his…

The fuel subsidy issue   
DURING his inauguration speech, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced that the era of…

SERIE A: Victor Osimhen becomes first African to win Capocannoniere award     
In a historic achievement Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has become the first African footballer to…