Pressure Mounts On VP, Yemi Osinbajo To Change Deputy Chief of Staff, Ade Ipaye + Inside Details Of The Latest Scheming

This is coming days after news filtered to town that some of the aides of the VP were sacked by the presidency.

Sources within the seat of power in Abuja revealed authoritatively that it is a matter of days before the lawyer-turned-politician, Ade Ipaye would be shown the way out of office to give room for some other fellow with much influence and who could get things done in time.

It was argued that Ade Ipaye has not been able to manage the office effectively and that this has not helped the Vice President, who we gathered needed to do more to prove that he could quickly get things done for the government.

We gathered that Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi was initially suggested as the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Preaidency attached to the Vice President in 2015 based on his vast network of friends and associates before Ade Ipaye, who was a commissioner in Lagos State, was eventually picked.

Afikuyomi reportedly became influential right from the days of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republic Convention (NRC) and he is seen as a necessary evil.

He was also said to be close to the likes of Baba Gana Kingibe and Alhaji Maman Daura.

“Tokunbo Afikuyomi is close to the creme of northern politicians now seen as the cabal and he could leverage on this for Osinbajo who is not a politician,” said a source, who added that some other people were being considered for the plum job, but that Afikuyomi’s name tops the list.

We were further informed that the Ikenne, Ogun State-born Vice President is allegedly favouring only members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God including the immediate past Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Tony Enelamah, in appointments in the seat of power.

He was also accused of favouring his family members, who never contributed to the success of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in his appointments including the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr. Segun Awolowo.

Sources alleged that despite the fact that Segun Awolowo was not appointed by the current government he ought to have been removed, when his tenure ended, but that he is enjoying the favour of the Vice President, who married a grand daughter of the Awolowos.

Sources alleged that the fact that a large percentage of the aides of the VP are either members of the RCCG or members of his family has become a source of concern to the cabal in Aso Rock.

First Weekly Magazine was informed that Osinbajo did not show any form of commitment to those who sponsored him, which sources said was part of the reasons he wasn’t given any consideration in the scheme of things in Lagos.

It was learned that the godfathers of Lagos politics felt disappointed by Osinbajo since he got to office in 2015 and that they have vowed to take a pound of flesh from him.

“Osinbajo belongs to Lagos political circle. But the leaders of the party in the state are not happy with him because he has not done much for them since he got into office.

“He is completely lost in what he is doing in Abuja and he has not addressed any of the issues we took to him that is why we do not reckon with him in the state,” said a source.

The source added that the leaders of the party in Lagos have made Osinbajo to understand that he still had enough time to amend his ways “before it is too late as time is no longer on his side. 2023 is just around the corner, when his tenure as the nation’s Vice President would end.”