He was larger than life, confident and firm talking. Behind his scrupulous mien is a deep rooted political deportment that overawes his contemporaries in the contest of politics. No sooner had he assumed the exalted office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation than he asserted his authority over the rest of the Cabinet members.

Mr. Babagana Kingibe was the Secretary to Government of the Federation until Monday last week. He had before now been an ex-minister of foreign affairs and later power and steel in the ill-fated regime of late General Sani Abacha who had firmly stamped paid to the popular June 12, 1993 Presidential Election that was annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida.

Kingibe it was at the time, who had chaired the Social Democratic Party (SDP) at the national level until he condescended to join the presumed winner of that election, Chief Moshood Abiola as running mate. Abiola later died in detention during the reign of General Abdulsalami Abubakar in his quest to seize the mandate of the Nigerian people to steer the country for four years.

His appointment seemed to have revived his forever lost hope of leading the most populous black nation in global say-so. Thus, those who were initially disconcerted with his invitation to join the ship of state as a bright spark had their fears confirmed by succeeding events as their legacies and allies were excluded from governance.

Civil servants were not exempted in his ‘Olympian aloofness’ permanent secretaries could not approach his office at will, unlike his predecessor in office, Uffot Ekatte. Official files were said to have grown into hilly moulds at his desk, as memos as old as six months were neither replied not assigned to subordinate officers to act upon.

Then came the wee hour day of Monday, the September 8, 2008, leaving no pregnable presage of the untoward that later fell like a bolt from the blues. He had trotted into the Aso Rock Chambers and like a shooting star he located his seat which is next to Mr. President. His lateness to the event had exposed him as an arrogant fellow who lacked respect for the Commander-In -Chief.
However, events that followed thereafter revealed that the aristocrat was not disrespectful of the president in any case. Records had shown that he was not informed of the event that took place at the Villa that morning. Yet by dint of his position as the engine-house of the Cabinet secretariat dealings at the Federal Council ought to be arranged by him.

It was gathered from insiders that the FG scribe had gone to empathize with the convalescing president whose health status has been a source of media hype two weeks before then. The president had jetted to Saudi Arabia ostensibly to perform the Muslim lesser hajj (umrah), but was later reported to be receiving medical attention at the King Abdulazeez Hospital in Jeddah.

On arrival, he was shocked with the news that the newly appointed and promoted military chiefs were being decorated and administered oath of office as the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff and Chief of Air Staff respectively by Mr. President, hence he came late.
Instructively, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua whose fitful disposition defiled newspapers reports in his unusual smartness simply skipped the SGF in his protocol list of acknowledgement of major figures present at the decoration ceremony.

While reporters pondered over the seeming oversight of the SGF, the vice president, Goodluck Jonathan also ignored Kingibe in his protocol list.

The reaffirmation of the presidential drama instantly galvanized State House correspondents into a noisome buzz. Obviously prompted by the visible observation of the pen mongers a statement was issued to douse the dust.

Shegun Adeniyi, Special Adviser on Communication matters to the president, stated a replacement of Kingibe with technocrat, Alhaji Ahmed Yayale who until his new appointment was the minister of defence. The new SGF was one time the Head of the Civil Service of the federal government.

Meanwhile, feelers that the President Yar’Adua was loathsome of Kingibe’s presence in his cabinet had peaked off when first he traveled out of the country without giving detail instructions to him, and second when he ‘sneaked’ into the country without informing him.

President Yar’Adua had taken the nation by storm when he eased Mallam Nuhu Ribadu out of Economic and Financial Crime office as the chairman. Not even the public outcry that greeted the removal intimidated him as he went ahead to appoint Mrs. Farida Waziri in his place.

Shortly before leaving for Saudi Arabia, he had relieved the service chiefs of their jobs, leaving the former Chief of Air Staff , Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike to move up to the office of the Chief of Defence Staff. Yar’Adua appears to be a bone in a velvety texture.