Northern governors responsible for Oghiadomhe’s resignation

4 Min Read

In spite of the position of the presidency that resignation of Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe was voluntary, there were speculations that the resignation was demanded by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Sources say the event is connected with some lapses blamed on the office of the former chief of staff.

The last was his alleged deliberate sideline of Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State over the visit by the president to the state recently.

Rather than writing to apprise the governor about the impending visit, Oghiadomhe was said to have chosen to deal with the deputy governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Shagari, following the governor’s recent defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Shagari, it will be recalled, refused to move to the APC with the governor, a development that made him the leader of PDP in the state.

Presidency sources revealed Wamakko complained about being slighted over the presidential visit, but still went ahead to make preparations for a hitch-free visit by providing accommodation and other necessary logistics to the President’s advance team.

The president was said to have been upset when it was brought to his notice and apparently decided to take action on Saturday.

Jonathan was also thought to have expressed his displeasure over the failure of Oghiadomhe to acknowledge a request by Niger State traditional rulers to pay the president a “thank you” visit, following the kick-off of the Zungeru Power project in the state late last year.

The state governor, Dr Babangida Aliyu, was said to have expressed his sadness to the president that months after the royal fathers wrote to request for the visit, the office of the chief of staff failed to even acknowledge their letter.

Having been informed about the termination of his appointment, the former COS was said to have returned to the office at the Presidential Villa at the weekend to clear it of his personal belongings, including photographs.

He attended one final meeting with the president alongside other presidential aides, after which he tendered his resignation letter on Monday.

Sources confirmd that Oghiadomhe was dumbfounded early Monday morning when the president called him and asked for his resignation letter.

A source said the president did not want to fire Oghiadomhe, but demanded his resignation letter, so as not to spoil his records.

It was learnt that some infighting within the ranks of the special advisers and the former chief of staff recently got to the president’s knowledge, especially complaints that some of their memos were being delayed by Oghiadomhe until events overtook them.

It was also gathered that some ministers had also complained that their memos to the president were being delayed and that many were not seen by the president.

It was also gathered that the Chaplain to Aso Rock Chapel had predicted the sack of Oghiadomhe at the service on Sunday, when he made a narrative and asked him whether he loved Jonathan.

A source also said Oghiadomhe was becoming too powerful and that the sack was a harbinger of things to come, as “many controversial ministers would soon be relieved of their positions.”

 

via@Tribune

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