Tension in Aso Rock as Buhari sacks 4 aides that work for Aisha

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has temporarily redeployed three aides of the first lady, Aisha, to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), TopNaija reports.

On Saturday, Buhari also approved the appointment of the former lawmaker, Muhammad Zorro, as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs and Strategy, Office of the First Lady.

This was confirmed by the president’s Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a statement.

At the insistence of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, the president also approved the immediate redeployment of three of the political appointees in her office to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, pending their assignment to some other government departments or agencies.

Adesina said, “Those affected by the redeployment are: Dr. Mohammed Abdulrahman, who was Senior Special Assistant to the President on Health and Development Partners and Personal Physician to the First Lady; Hadi Uba, who was Special Assistant to the President on Administration; and Wole Aboderin, who was Special Assistant to the President on Non-Governmental Organisations.

“Also approved with effect from February 11, is the disengagement of Zainab Kazeem, the Special Assistant to the President on Domestic and Social Events, Office of the First Lady.

“Zorro, a famous journalist, brings to the new job decades of experience in media practice, publishing, and unionist leadership. He was at various times President, Nigeria Union of Journalists, West African Journalists Association, and the Federation of African Journalists.

“He was in the House of Representatives, where he chaired the committee on Internally Displaced Persons, Refugees and Initiatives in the North-East.”

Though the reason for the reshuffle remained unknown as of the filing of this report, it came barely 48 hours after the First Lady was spotted on an evening train returning from Kaduna to Abuja.