Backstage battle for the powerful seat of Abba Kyari, the late Chief of Staff of President Muhammadu Buhari is gathering new steam in the Presidency.
The Presidency, however, regrets to announce the passage of Kyari. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, confirmed the tragic development in a statement in Abuja.
The deceased had tested positive to the ravaging COVID-19 and had been receiving treatment. But he died on Friday, April 17, 2020. ”
Funeral arrangements will be announced shortly, he said.
Before the announcement, there were allegations of the intense backstage lobby for Kyari’s job in Aso Rock, Nigeria’s seat of power.
Kyari occupied a powerful office in the Presidency as Chief of Staff of President Buhari.
But, the Presidency did not issue an official statement about his whereabouts. Kyari was undergoing treatment after testing positive for the rampaging coronavirus pandemic.
A political risk consultancy, Menas Associates, says the initial claims that he had died stopped after his family dismissed them.
There was speculation that he tested negative twice for COVID-19 and was recuperating from the illness.
Menas Associates says, ‘’this has not been confirmed by the Presidency’’, pointing out that the news that he tested negative was released to the media by close presidential sources on April 6 to end the increasing speculation that he had died.
Since then, little has been heard about his recovery or the date of his possible discharge from the unknown London hospital where he is being treated.
Because he is in his 70s, there have been increasing questions about whether he will fully recover and be strong enough to continue his hectic duties at the Presidential Villa where he is one of President Buhari’s closest confidants.
There was considerable speculation that, even if he fully recovers, he was unlikely to want to return to his post even if Buhari wanted him back.
The illness took a heavy toll on him because of his age.
Before his departure to the world beyond, there were claims about a search for a replacement with the highly experienced 1993 Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential running mate of MKO Abiola, Babagana Kingibe, widely tipped as a potential successor.
Kingibe previously served as Foreign Affairs Minister (1993-1995); Internal Affairs (1995-1997); Power and Steel (1997-1998); and then as the very influential Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) between 2007 and 2008.
The challenge with Kingibe, according to Menas Associates, is that, unlike Kyari, he is highly political and could want to use the position to influence the country’s political direction if he is appointed.
‘’Kingibe will not be subtle in his political interference and could end up highly politicising the position and it is unclear if Buhari will want this’’, says Menas that has been helping multinational companies operate in the Middle-East, Africa, and other emerging markets since the late 1970s.
Continuing, it says, ‘’the most likely scenario is that, if Abba Kyari is unable to return to his position, Buhari is unlikely to name a replacement any time soon.
‘’He tends to work very closely with people he trusts and Kyari has been quite dependable so finding a replacement will be challenging. His kitchen cabinet includes Mamman Daura, who, despite being Buhari’s nephew, is older than the president; his friend, Isa Funtua, who is the father of Buhari’s son-in-law; and Kingibe.
‘’They are close and could be depended on to continue to provide informal guidance. Even more significantly, however, Buhari already has a lot of close relatives working with him at the Presidential Villa who could easily unofficially step into Kyari’s role in his absence.
‘’Buhari will almost certainly continue working with the current group around him for a long time before considering a formal replacement for Kyari if he has to do so.’’
