By Steve Osuji
Who else has noticed that the First Lady, High Chief Remi Tinubu has been playing the role of 'Acting President' of Nigeria in the last two weeks?
President Tinubu has supposedly been on vacation in Europe, even though he remains largely incommunicado. (Sitting presidents are not supposed to be out of the radar).
The vice president, Kashim Shettima, has
embarked on some inane peregrinations of his own since the president seems to loathe to hand over to him while away.
Madam First Lady has therefore taken full charge of affairs.
She started with the launch of the one billion dollars Hope Special Protection Programme.
Imagine committing a whooping ONE BILLION DOLLARS of taxpayers funds to a project yet the president, VP and even the minister in charge of humanitarian affairs were not in the picture. Wife of the president has no authority to appropriate and disburse public funds.
The First Lady seems to also be ahead on APC electioneering campaign as the campaign team is roiling in the contradictions of its moral baggage.
While the VP is in limbo, 'Acting President' Remi Tinubu is on a shuttle of the southeast. She has done the rounds of Imo and Anambra state, allegedly sharing the billion dollar Social Protection largesse and getting conferred with bogus traditional titles.
But Madam Tinubu is not to be blamed. Nature abhors vacuum. Since the president seems to detest handing over to the VP while away (Tinubu has never handed over to Shettima since coming to power. Recall that even Buhari handed over to VP Osinbajo at some point.)
Shettima has been fully and totally sidelined in the scheme of things. In fact, it seems as if the fear of Kashim is the beginning of wisdom in Aso Rock! NNL.
