Babachir Lawal, chairman of the Northern Political Consultative Group and former secretary to the government of the federation, has raised alarm over how newly elected Nigerian presidents are allegedly cut off from the outside world immediately after taking office. He suggested that this early move is part of a larger effort to cage leaders within tightly controlled circles.
In an interview with Trust TV from 24:27, Lawal said this system of isolation empowers a handful of aides and security personnel to control access to the president, often blocking well-meaning individuals and alternative viewpoints from reaching him. This, he believes, contributes to poor leadership decisions, as the leader becomes dependent on filtered information.
According to him, “Once you become president, on the day of inauguration, they collect your phones. They collect their phones and bring all sorts of reasons. They’ll tell you somebody can bomb you through phones; they get all sorts of reasons to cage you in, and these people that have caged you, they’re the people that will give access to the people that are well-meaning. If they don’t give you access, what do you do?”
