Report has detailed how Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, picked six aides who are loyalists of his immediate past Predecessor, Bukola Saraki.
A June 19 memo from Lawan’s Chief of Staff, Babajana Muhammad Aji, to the Clerk of the National Assembly, listed some of the new Aides as Mrs Betty Okoroh, Special Assistant on administration to the President of the Senate; Mohammed Isa, Special Assistant on Media and Publicity; Olu Onemola, Special Assistant on New Media; Tope Brown Olowoyeye, Senior Legislative Aide on Media and Publicity; and Ogechukwu E. Nwankwoh, Senior Legislative Aide on Schedules.
It was gathered that the new appointees had been Aides to Saraki.
Also, the appointment, during the week, of a staunch critic of President Muhammadu Buhari, Dr Festus Adedayo, as Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, ruffled many feathers.
A top Aide of the former Senate President, Baba Ahmed, is said to have recommended the individuals to Lawan, upon request by the latter.
The new Senate President also reportedly asked a former Media Adviser to Saraki, Yusuf Olaniyonu, to recommend a Media Adviser; and Olaniyonu picked Adedayo, whose appointment was then approved by Lawan.
Adedayo is also said to be a Saraki Loyalist in the Media.
The development led to outrage from Lawan’s supporters and the Senate President was forced to yield slightly, by dropping Adedayo’s name from the list of appointees. However, he insisted on retaining the remaining five.
Lawan came under criticism following his appointment of Festus Adedayo as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity.
Adedayo has been a staunch critic of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Supporters of the party expressed their disappointment over the Senate President’s appointment which they believed to be a slap on the face of those who supported his candidacy.
