Kyari, Monguno rift confirms there are many cabals in Presidency – Afegbua

The former spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council in the 2019 general elections, Mr Kassim Afebgua, has reacted to the rift between the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr Babagana Monguno and the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Abba Kyari.

In a leaked memo dated December 2019 and published by an online website, Premium Times, Monguno accused Kyari of usurping the powers of the President Muhammadu Buhari and interfering on issues of national security.

The leaked memo was sent to the service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police, with the President and the Chief of Staff as well as some ministers in the copy.

But reacting during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics on Wednesday February 19th, 2020, Afebgua said the dispute confirms the existence of many cabals in the presidency.

“The fact that a leaked memo or letter written by the National Security Adviser is being leaked to the public means that there is no coordination, there is no sense of organization in the presidency.

“By extension, it confirms the public perception that there are too many power blocs in the presidency, they call it cabal. Within the cabal, there are various categories. We have the one represented by the President’s uncle.

“We have the one represented by friends of the President, we have the one represented by the Chief of State and by this memo now, the one represented by the NSA,” he said.

According to him, it is disappointing to realize that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is not coordinated.

He recalled that when the farmers and herders clashes were rampant in Benue State, four different camps from the NSA, then Defence Minister, Mansur Dan-Ali, then Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and the Justice Minister, Mr Abubakar Malami gave different reasons why the conflicts occurred.