Chief Of Staff Is More ‘Powerful’ Than Vice President Position : Lawmaker

Akin Alabi
Akin Alabi

Federal lawmaker and owner of NairaBet, Oloye Akin Alabi has said that the position of a chief of staff is more powerful than the vice president in a presidential system of government.

According to Alabi, representing Egbeda Ona-Ara federal constituency of Oyo state at the House of Representatives, the chief of staff is the assistant president.

The lawmaker was reacting to backlash from Nigerians on why it was Abba Kyari, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff that took the Deep Offshore Bill to the president in London for assent, instead of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to sign on his(Buhari) behalf.

In a few tweets on Tuesday, the Reps member said it was only constitutional.

Read what he tweeted below

Whether you like it or not, in a presidential system of government (eg, US, Nigeria), the post of the Chief of Staff is more “powerful” than that of the Vice President. He is the assistant President. The Vice President is a stand in for the president.

It is NOT the duty of the Vice President to take a bill to the president. It’s the job of an assistant. Like the Chief of Staff. The Vice President has been excellent performing his constitutional duties and the ones assigned to him.

If the President decides NOT to see Vice President Osinbajo as a PA, which I don’t think he should, then I’m 100% in support of that. I understand the political agenda of the noisemakers but anyone ready to learn should learn.

Read Also: Spending Hours Cooking Is A Waste Of Valuable Time Except You Are Doing For Business: Akin Alabi

I don’t know whether there are problems between the Chief of Staff and the Vice President. Maybe there is. It’s politics and it happens everywhere. But with this bill signing issue, there is nothing out of the ordinary for the Chief of staff to bring a document for the president.