How aides, wives, concubines, influence presidents –Doyin Okupe

Former aide to ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, has narrated how aides, wives, concubines, family members, security details, friends and even allies, influence the decision making of Presidents at the Presidential Villa.

Okupe who was reacting to the refusal of Buhari to honour the invitation of the House of Representatives to address the insecurity situation in the country on Thursday, gave a hint on what could have prevented the President from honouring the invitation.

The House, reacting to the killing of farmers in the Zabarmari community of Jere local government area of Borno State by Boko Haram elements on November 28, had, on December 1, summoned Buhari to address them over the security challenges bedeviling the country.

Though Buhari had accepted to appear before the House, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on Wednesday, December 9, faulted the invitation by saying the National Assembly did not have the constitutional powers to invite Buhari.

Okupe, who took to his Facebook page to comment on Buhari’s absence during the joint session of the House, said:

“Presidents of Nigeria and many other Presidents in the world are subject of very severe and intense manipulation by a lot of forces.

“Strongest among the manipulators are the 1st ladies, top aides, favoured ministers, senior government officials, old friends and school mates, traditional and religious leaders, and even concubines.”

He explained further that in the case of a presidential movement, the head of the security apparatus is a more powerful influence a president has to deal with.

“Security chiefs can stop a president from attending a function based purely on his own personal interest or program or disposition.

“Equally important are the ADCs and CSOs who often times determine access to the Presidents.

“Most of the time, the President is a powerless hostage cordoned off in the Presidential villa, often times doing the bidding of his subordinates! This is incongruous but very true.