Abba Kyari’s Shoes: Who Steps In?

By Eric Elezuo

It’s almost six weeks since the office of the Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria was made vacant owing to the illness and subsequent death of the immediate past CoS, Malam Abba Kyari between March 24 when he was diagnosed of Coronavirus, and April 17 when he eventually died. As at date, President Muhammadu Buhari has not bothered to name a replacement in as much as speculations have been channelled to certain ‘powerful’ individuals in government; individuals who are touted to be equally loyal to a fault like the late former CoS.

Abba Kyari, many believed, wore the office like a second skin, administering at the beck and call of his principal and utilising every opportunity like a collosus. In fact, a lot believed he was the de facto president albeit the unofficial vice president. He was by all intent and purpose a man after Buhari’s heart. Little wonder Buhari penned a heart rendering tribute at his death, describing him ‘the best of us’.

However, as Buhari dilly dallies over the choice of a replacement, speculations are rife as to who will filled the big loyal-intensive shoes of Abba Kyari. These speculations and permutations are consequent upon the overt or covert level of loyalty expressed by the individuals as well as the strength of their hold on President Buhari as a person and the presidency as an entity.

“On the list are the current Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Mohammed Musa Bello, and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation from 2007 to 2008 and former vice presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the June 12,1993 presidential elections, Babagana Kingibe. Others are the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, and former military governor of Lagos State and Chairman of Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd).”

The Boss turns its lens to the men who may be considered to wear Abba Kyari’s big shoes:

ISMAILA ISA FUTUA

A member of the Order of Federal Republic OFR, Ismaila Isa Funtua is an accomplished politician and businessman, whose son is married to President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter; a credential that gives him a little edge above other contestants.

Born in Funtua, he attended the Federal Training Centre in Kaduna as well as Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Manchester, and has served in various technical, administrative and commanding capacities. Among many other port folios he has held, Funtua was the Monitor General of the Course 9, at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru. He was an Administrative Officer at the Katsina Native Authority and was a personnel manager at United Textiles Limited. He later served as a federal minister in the Second Republic.

He is the founder and chairman of Bulet Construction Company (the largest wholly owned indigenous construction company), owner of Blueprint Newspaper, and life patron of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria. He has cultivated clients, business associates and friends who have extended his interests beyond the normal scope of a businessman.

However, Funtua is not keen on becoming the next CoS as a result of his age and level. He maintained that he has surfaced the CoS position. He him:

“I heard people mentioning my name to replace Abba Kyari… But I take the story as an insult instead… I have once worked with government in the 80s, worked with white men and also was once a Minister of the Federal republic… For someone to mention my name for that position is an insult especially for a man who served as a Minister nearly 40 years ago and out of Government.

“I should be employing people now not trying to struggle for government appointment… At my level and age people should first see if am fit to serve and see if am strong enough and if am up-to-date with current realities of governance.”

We see reason with him.

BABAGANA KINGIBE

Probably the one with the most impressive and intimidating profile among all considered, Baba Gana Kingibe GCON, a Kanuri from Borno State, was born on June 25, 1945 to the family of Mustafa Shuwa and Ya Kingi Mallam. He has practically seen all there is to see in governance, politics and diplomacy. He is seen also as a powerful figure in the Buhari government, and a member of the so called cabal running things in Aso Rock.

Though most Nigerians refer to him as a turncoat based on the role he played post June 12 crisis, Kingibe’s profile speaks larger than life. He has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 1995, Minister of Internal Affairs from 1995 to 1997, Minister of Power and Steel from 1997 to 1998; and Secretary to the Government of the Federation from 2007 to 2008. In 1993 Nigerian presidential election, he was the vice presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party.

Kingibe later attended the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva.

In 1969, he was employed by the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria. Kingibe left the university towards the end of the Nigerian Civil War, and became head of the current affairs department at the Broadcasting Corporation of Northern Nigeria (BCNN).

In 1972, he joined the Nigerian Foreign Service where his first posting was the Nigerian High Commission in London as a senior political counsellor and later became the head of the political desk.

In 1981, at the age of 36, he was appointed the Nigerian Ambassador to Greece and Cyprus. Kingibe was later appointed the Nigerian Ambassador to Pakistan by General Ibrahim Babangida.

He was selected by MKO Abiola as Vice-presidential running mate, creating a Muslim-Muslim ticket which was initially thought to be a deal breaker in the general elections. The pair won the electoral majority although the result was annulled by abdicating president General Ibrahim Babangida.

Kingibe later joined the Abacha administration as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 1995, Minister of Internal Affairs from 1995 to 1997, and Minister of Power and Steel from 1997 to 1998.

In June 2007, he was appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation. He was unceremoniously removed from office on September 8, 2008 by the President Umaru Yar’Adua, after spreading rumors about the President’s ill-health while believed to be contending for the presidency.

Report has it that Kingibe has been performing the CoS duties ever since Abba Kyari was sidelined by illness and eventual death. But Kingibe is 75 years already.

ADAMU ADAMU

The current Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu is a surprise entrant into the contest for the vacant Chief of Staff. He is a known accountant and journalist.

Born on May 25, 1956 in Azare, he has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria. He later received a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University’s School of Journalism. He is a prolific polyglot, speaking six languages fluently – Arabic, Persian, Fulfulde, Hausa, English and French.

Adamu has worked as an accountant in Bauchi State before later venturing into journalism. He began his journalist career as a public analyst and writer and later got his first job with a newspaper in 1984. He rose through the ranks in journalism and became Deputy Editor of the New Nigerian newspaper. Adamu was also a back-page columnist for Media Trust’s titles and has contributed to many news outlets including London-based Crescent International. Adamu also served as a personal assistant to Solomon Lar, the first chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party. Before his appointment as minister, in 2015, he had gained Buhari’s trust as the secretary of his presidential transition committee.

BUBA MARWA

Probably one of Nigeria’s finest officers, Buba Marwa, from Borno State, has had a most accomplished sojourn in the military, serving as military administrator in many states including metropolitan Lagos between 1996 and 1999. He is presently the Chairman of Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse.

Marwa was commissioned as 2nd lieutenant in the Nigerian Army Reconnaissance Corps before moving to the Armoured Corp. He held various positions in the army, including Brigade Major (23 Armoured Brigade), Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Theophilus Danjuma, academic registrar of the Nigerian Defense Academy and Deputy Defense Adviser in the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC.

In 1990, he was appointed Governor of Borno State. In 1992, he became the defense adviser to the Nigerian Permanent Mission to the United Nations until he was appointed the Administrator of Lagos State in 1996. Between 1996 and 1999, Marwa implemented programmes that greatly improved living conditions in Lagos. He revamped public health institutions, upgraded public infrastructure, and enacted pro-people edicts. The popular keke marwa in Lagos today is a testament of his efforts.

Marwa had a brief stint with politics in the past, but may made no notable inroads. It is not obvious he will still make inroads in the battle to occupy Abba Kyari’s vacant seat although he is under pressure to keep the tradition set by Major General Abdulahi Mohammed (Rtd.) who served as Chief of Staff between 1999 – 2008 to Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and Brig. Gen. Jones Arogbofa (Rtd.), who served President Goodluck Jonathan.

ABUBAKAR MALAMI

The current Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami, is one public officer who stands a great chance of claiming the CoS position if blind loyalty is a yardstick for appointment. He emerged as Buhari’s youngest minister in 2015.

Born on April 17, 1967, in Birnin Kebbi, Malami has age on his side, and can compliment Buhari’s near incapacitation in the day to day running of government. A lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Malami has proved in the cause his duties that loyalty is everything, even more than competence.

His early formal education began at Nassarawa Primary School, Birnin Kebbi before he completed his secondary school education at College of Arts and Arabic Studies. In 1991, he graduated from Usmanu Danfodiyo University where he studied Law and was called to the bar in 1992. Abubakar obtained his master’s degree in Public Administration in 1994 from the University of Maiduguri.

As a legal practitioner, Abubakar has served in various capacities including being a counsel and magistrate in Kebbi State and as National Legal Adviser of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change. He was actively involved in the formation of the All Progressives Congress in 2013 as the resource person to the Manifesto Drafting Sub-Committee of Inter Joint Party Merger Committees between the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). He failed in his bid to become governor of Kebbi State, losing to the present governor at the primaries.

Malami has been accused in many quarters for gross misconduct in the discharge of his duties, and narrowly escaped being stripped of his Senior Advocate of Nigeria rank by the disciplinary panel of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee in 2019.

HAMEED ALIDass,

A native of Dass, Bauchi State, Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd), was born on January 15, 1955, and is the current Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service.

He is another loyalist of the president, and has served as Military Governor of Kaduna State from 1996 to 1998. After retirement from the army, he became secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum – a political and cultural association of leaders in Northern Nigeria. Many know him as an ethnic jingoist, and may fulfill all that Buhari represents if he is eventually chosen.

He has supported Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential bids in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019. Coming from a Buharist political background, he has promoted trade protectionist and strict law and order policies within the Buhari administration.

Ali was once said to have sacked about 30,000 striking civil servants in the Kaduna state, and detained 18 local government chairmen while serving as the military administrator of the State from August 1996 to August 1998.

Reports alleged that the reporter who published the article in a local magazine, was arrested, severely beaten, then taken to the Government House and further tortured. Ali however later denied the allegations.

He is also said to have held his own in the fight against corruption as comptroller-general, among many other chronic problems in service including border insecurity.

Ali is as controversial as he is loyal. He was engaged in loggerhead with the eight assembly, snubbing the senate’s sermons and calls to wear customs’ uniform.

There’s also the likes of Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, whose elected executive position may prevent from contesting the former oblivious position, which late Abba Kyari has suddenly made very powerful.

All eyes now on Buhari!