Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, says Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has been rendered impotent, useless and irrelevant.
The South-West group stated this in reaction to the recent travails of Mr Osinbajo whose principal is said to have whittled down his powers by removing him as head of government agencies he held during their first term in office.
Earlier in the week, it was reported that agencies and aides under the control of the number two citizen has been withdrawn from him and assigned to ministries and individuals.
At the moment, it is still been speculated in some quarters that it might be a move to keep him in check since Osinbajo is aiming at succeeding his principal in office at the next presidential election, an ambition those said to be the cabal of President Muhammadu Buhari is against.
Reacting to the travails, Afenifere said although it will be early to arrive at that conclusion, recent developments in the presidency has rendered Osinbajo impotent, useless and irrelevant.
“We are studying the situation but we must also not muddle up issues. For now we will not jump into any premature conclusion that this is about 2023 alone. We will need to know if we will need more information to know whether it is political or whether there was abuse of office or process,” Yinka Odumakin, spokesman other group told Punch Newspaper yesterday.
“But the barrage of the last 48 hours shows that there is something wrong. We will wait to have all the facts because we don’t want to say a Yoruba man is being attacked.
“They may have had a justifiable reason to do so. But we are taking note of every development and at the appropriate time, we will make our position known. But clearly, what has happened is that the VP’s office has been rendered impotent, useless and irrelevant,” Mr Odumakin added.
For the news medium, the situation is caused by some action of the number two citizen when he held sway for his principal in acting capacity during their first term in office.
Relying on anonymous presidential sources, the paper cited the emergence of Walter Onnoghen as the substantive Chief Justice of the Federation and the removal of Lawal Daura as the Director-General of the Department of State Services as reasons for the development.
Mr Onnoghen, appointed by the president in acting capacity, had his tenure running out and might not be constitutionally allowed to serve as substantive CJN at the expiration. Osinbajo who was in charge at the time forwarded his name for confirmation to the Nigerian Senate, against the wish of the cabal.
Mr Daura was removed in office for been allegedly responsible for the siege laid at the National Assembly in a bid to force a leadership change at the legislative arm of government last year.
The actions of Osinbajo on the two scenarios are reported to be against the wish of the cabal whom the vice president was said to have sidelined at the time.
While Buhari suspended and ousted Mr Onnoghen on alleged failure to declare some assets traced to him, the president on his return last year September sacked Matthew Seiyefa who was appointed in August by his vice while in acting capacity, to head the DSS.
