Despite suspected moves to strip him of certain powers, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo Thursday presided over the monthly National Economic Council (NEC) at the State House in Abuja.
Confirming the latest development, Osinbajo’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said NEC is the constitutional body that advises the President on the coordination of the economic affairs of the country.
Akande confirmed that state governors, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor and some members of the Federal Executive Council attended the meeting.
According to him, “Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is now presiding over the monthly National Economic Council, NEC meeting with state governor, CBN governor and some members of the FEC.
“NEC is the constitutional body that advises the President on the coordination of economic affairs of the Nigerian federation.”
Meanwhile, the Presidency has dismissed claims that the Vice President had been sidelined following President Muhammadu Buhari’s inauguration of an Economic Advisory Team (EAC) to replace the Economic Management Team (EMT).
While the EMT was headed by Osinbajo, the newly constituted EAC would report directly to the President.
Speaking as a guest on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said all that the president had done particularly this week was just to “tweak governance and get the best for Nigerians.”
He also maintained that the Presidency remains one and that there’s been too much suspicion and different kinds of inferences which he believed are only aimed at driving a wedge between the President and the Vice President.
“The Vice President is the number two man in the country. the new economic advisory body can also relate with the Vice President as necessary.
“It’s just some Nigerians who want to drive a wedge between the President and the VP, that read meanings into everything and insinuate but there’s no need for that,” Adesina said.
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