President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Mr. Boss Gida Mustapha as the new secretary to the government of the federation (SGF). Mustapha replaces Babachir Lawal who has been under suspension over corruption-related allegations.
Upon Mustapaha’s appointment as new SGF, series of conversations have gone viral on social media indicating that the new SGF was appointed by his ousted counterpart, Babachir Lawal. So, is the replacement of Lawal with Mustapha truly a like for like swap by Buhari?
Here are other reasons some Nigerians doubt Buhari’s SGF choice
1. Both men hail from Hong local government area in Adamawa state and are Christians. The two men also attended the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and both graduated in 1979. However, Lawal studied engineering, while Mustapha studied law.
Boss Mustapha, profile:
He was born in Adamawa and attended Hong Secondary School, in Hong Adamawa and North East College of Arts and Sciences Maiduguri Borno state, crowning it with WASC and HSC in 1976. He earned his Bachelor of Law (LL.B) from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1979 and was called to bar in 1980.
2. New SGF, Boss Mustapha is Babachir Lawal’s cousin
A member of the House of Representatives during the Second Republic, Dr Junaid Muhammed, has said that the newly appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF Boss Mustapha, is a first cousin to Babachir Lawal.
3. Like Babachir Lawal, Boss Mustapha is a Christian and he is the National Vice President, Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International Nigeria.
4. Delayed action
It took President Buhari long before he took the action which PDP said shows PMB has defaulted in defending the poor masses as he swore to do when he was elected into office.
5. 2019 Campaign strategy
Ahead of 2019 Presidential election, the presidency recently commissioned the secretariat of President Muhammadu Buhari Support Organisation, BSO, which marks the beginning of another campaign that will see Buhari seize office for the second time as President.
Recall Buhari ascended to office on the strength of his integrity as an anti-corrupt leader [as perceived by most Nigerians], as such the delayed sack of Babachir and reinstatement with Mustapha might also be calculated as strategy to re-position buhari as an anti-corruption ‘warlord’.