Akinyelure May Emerge Tinubu’s Chief Of Staff
By Ayo Esan
L-R: Chief Pius Akinyelure with the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
A seasoned and distinguished administrator and an oil industry practitioner, Mr Pius Akinyelure, may emerge as the Chief of Staff to the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Akinyelure is a long-time friend of Tinubu and his former boss at Mobil Exxon Oil.
Akinyelure was said to be part of the team that gave Tinubu an appointment as an Auditor when he joined Mobil Oil.
A certified Accountant with a Master of Science Degree in Management, specialising in organisational behaviour, Chief Akinyelure has had over 30 years of working experience in the oil industry at top executive management levels, both upstream and downstream.
A source, privy to the development in Tinubu’s Camp, informed THEWILL that Tinubu’s close political and business associates mostly from the Northern part of the country are now putting him forward, after the Minister of Works, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, appear to no longer be keen on assuming the position.
Chief Pius Akinyelure
Gbajabiamila, said to be receiving Tinubu’s wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s nod to emerging as the President-elect’s Chief of Staff, is said not to be keen about the position.
Fashola was Tinubu’s Chief of Staff when he was governor of Lagos State, but it was gathered that many top APC leaders favour a Christian for the post, to give the incoming Tinubu/Shettima administration some form of religious balance, having won the presidential election on a Muslim/Muslim joint ticket.
It was gathered that Akinyelure, who was APC National Vice-Chairman, South West, between 2014 and 2018, is respected by Tinubu and met the President-elect in France recently.
Akinyelure, who will be 81 in a few weeks, according to the source, will because of his age, be assisted by a Principal Secretary, in carrying out the day-to-day administrative works at the Villa, while he will be the one to guide and tell the truth to the President while in office.
“He is well respected by Tinubu and believed to be the closest to him outside the political circle. He will be the one to let him know the truth”, the source told THEWILL.
Source: The Will
