Buhari sacks First Lady’s aide, appoints Zorro as replacement

Presidency has announced the sacking of an aide to the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, and the redeployment of three others.

President Muhammadu Buhari has reportedly approved the removal of the aide and the appointment of a former President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mallam Sani Zorro, as a media aide to the First Lady.

A statement issued on Saturday by Buhari’s spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, said the disengagement of the Special Assistant to the President on Domestic and Social Events, Office of the First Lady, Zainab Kareem, took effect from Friday, February 11, 2022.

At the instance of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, the President also approved the immediate redeployment of three of the political appointees in her office to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, pending their assignment to some other government departments or agencies.

Those affected by the redeployment are: Dr. Mohammed Kamal Abdulrahman, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Health and Development Partners and Personal Physician to the First Lady; Hadi Uba, Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Wole Aboderin, Special Assistant to the President on Non-Governmental Organisations, NGOs.

President Buhari also gave the go ahead for the appointment of Muhammad Sani Zorro, journalist, politician and former lawmaker as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs and Strategy, Office of the First Lady.

Zorro, a famous journalist brings to the new job decades-long experience in media practice, publishing and unionist leadership.

He was at various times President, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, West African Journalists Association (WAJA) and the Federation of African Journalists, FAJ.

Zorro was in the House of Representatives where he chaired the committee on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Refugees and Initiatives on North East.