President Muhammad Buhari, since assumption of office on May 29, 2015, has gotten some trusted hands around him that he delegates duties to with specific instructions.
Post-Nigeria, through a thorough investigation, gathered that with such huge national duties in their care, these individuals wield huge influence on the seat of power.
1.Theophilus Danjuma
He is one of Nigeria’s most influential and respected senior military officers ever. Danjuma is a power broker and always sought after by successive governments. He is extremely wealthy.
That he was one of the major sponsors of Buhari’s Presidency is not a secret. With an interest in oil blocs, Danjuma, is believed to have played a major role in the emergence of Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, as the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and as the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources.
To further prove their closeness, Danjuma’s wife, Mrs Daisy, was the Chief Presenter at the public presentation of Mrs. Buhari’s book, ‘The Essentials of Beauty Therapy. A Complete Guide for Beauty Specialists.’
2. Abba Kyari
He is the Chief of Staff to the president. He is another power broker. The elderly man has the ears of the President, no doubt. He plans Buhari’s schedule, who to see, and who he should not see. He also plans his movement, in case he will be going out of the seat of power.
Apart from the traditional roles of a Chief of Staff, Buhari made it mandatory that ministers must go through Kyari, if they desired any contact with him. This is in clear departure from what was obtainable in the recent past, when ministers had unfettered access to their principal, the President.
As he walks a distance of about 100 metres from his office to the President’s office at intervals, Kyari, always holds tenaciously to office files, that may contain national secrets. He does not release his documents to anybody, including his security aides.
3.Babachir Lawal
He is the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. He occupies a powerful position on the ladder of Nigeria’s powerful rulers.
Lawal, by virtue of his position, serves as secretary to important government organs, such as the Federal Executive Council, FEC, and the Council of State.
As government’s scribe, Lawal, carries out supervisory functions on some government departments and agencies. Very outspoken, he does not hide the big influence he wields in the administration.
He is also, said to have the ears of the president.
4.Lawal Daura
Another strong man in this administration, is the Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Lawal Daura.
He was appointed by Buhari in July, 2015. Lawal has a clear mandate to re-organise the DSS, which is believed to have been dragged into the murky waters of politics ahead of the 2015 general elections.
However, under him, officials of the DSS were stripped of their constitutional roles of protecting the President.
Daura, who has a close relationship with the Buhari, joins the president often times for the Friday Jumat services that always hold inside the mosque close to the President’s office.
5. Mamman Daura.
Another major power broker in the presidency is his nephew, Mamman Daura.
He is immensely close to the President, hence, he has inputs in many of Buhari’s major decisions, including appointments.
Although, he holds no political office in this dispensation, Daura, is often seen with the president and travels with him. He is believed to have considerable input in the choice of those who emerged as ministers, especially those from the North.
Daura’s influence in government did not start today. Himself and Buhari belonged to a group called, “Kaduna Mafia”, which was a croup of young Northern Nigerian intellectuals, civil servants, business tycoons and military officers, residing or conducting business in the former Northern capital city of Kaduna, during the end of the First Republic.
The group was said to have thrived on a network of power alliances, among northern aristocrats and government sympathisers, who favoured the group’s pro-Northern and Islamic bent.
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