Is the Chief of Staff more powerful than the Vice President?

Is the Chief of Staff more powerful than the Vice President?

In a recent show of event, the Chief of Staff of Nigeria, Abba Kyari, travelled down to London, United Kingdom with the amended deep offshore act so the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari can append his signature. The President is said to be here on a 2-week stay.

This development has left many people in shock. Why was the Vice President left out? Does he not have enough authority to act in the president’s absence? What is his real function, how much power and authority does he really hold and why is the Chief of Staff seen to be more active?

In a recent Facebook post by Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, he wrote: “You are going on a 2-week ‘private visit' and you cannot hand over to Osinbajo.  Kyari has to take strange documents for you to sign in London. It is obvious. Osinbajo has AUDIO POWER, while Abba Kyari has DE FACTO POWER!” He further questioned the logic of the APC party as to why the Chief of Staff had more authority than a duly elected Vice President.

Just this week, a lawmaker, Oloye Akin Alabi put up a post on Twitter, “Whether you like it or not, in a presidential system of government (e.g. US, Nigeria), the post of the chief of staff is more ‘powerful’ than the Vice President. The vice president is a stand in for the president. It is NOT the duty of the Vice President to take a bill to the president. It is the job of an assistant. Like the Chief of Staff”.

However, Nigerians have been questioning this stance. Is this truly constitutional? Are there really cabals holding the helm of control in Nigeria while leaving the Vice President out? Is he really just a figurehead or in Reno's words, one with ‘audio power'?

While it is only logical that the Chief of Staff runs errands such as this, people are left to question such action as they feel the Vice President should be given enough authority that allows him act in the President's absence.

The constitution states the line of succession to the President starts from the Vice President, Senate President, Speaker House of Representatives, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Deputy Senate President, and lastly the Deputy Speaker of House of Representative.

The chief of staff was not elected by the people and is therefore not included in that line. He is like a personal assistant to the president and runs his daily affair. He is in charge of the management of his daily schedule and time. Generally, he controls access to the President and determines who is allowed to see him. Basically, he has as much power as the President himself permits.

That the Chief of Staff is kept in higher regard than the Vice president of Nigeria remains a matter for debate. This is the question on every citizen’s mind: Is the Chief of Staff more powerful than the Vice President?