BY TheCable
There is something about the Department of States Service (DSS) that means it is always struggling to dissociate itself from the ruling party.
In the buildup to the 2015 presidential election, it was Marilyn Ogah, spokesperson of the DSS, who was consistently accused of membership of the then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The two most notable incidents were her pronouncements on the DSS raid on the data office of the All Progressives Congress (APC) – then the opposition party – and her continuous condemnation of the #BringBackOurGirls movement pressing for the rescue of abducted Chibok girls. On many occasions, APC said Ogar and the DSS had pitched their tent with PDP ahead of the election.
In a matter of months, the tables have turned and it is now PDP making a similar accusation – albeit against a different official of the agency.
Since July 2 when Buhari appointed Lawal Daura director-general of DSS, replacing Ita Ekpeyong, PDP has been kicking. But on Wednesday, it took its dissent to another level, claiming that Ekpeyong’s successor was “a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC)” and branding the appointment “ungodly and unacceptable”.
Lai Mohammed of APC responded in typically caustic fashion, describing the accusation as “frivolous and absurd”, and mocking PDP for being “broke and badly affected by its loss of power at the centre”. Lai challenged PDP to produce evidences of Daura’s APC membership, and now it seems there are a few.
Already in circulation is a document listing Daura as a member of the security directorate of the Buhari campaign committee. On the surface it looks valid enough, but again, isn’t this the computer age when anything is possible?
In a photo that is fast growing viral, the new DSS helmsman is seen posing with all members of the APC presidential campaign security team. His face was particularly marked out. Real or contrived photo?
Yet another photo. This time, it is only Buhari and Daura. Well, nothing incriminating about that. Any Tom could take a photo with a president-elect. But then, the venue looked the APC campaign headquarters in Abuja, while the background clearly bore a Buhari/APC campaign platform. Daura, it was said, showed up there to congratulate Buhari for winning the election.
Finished? Has Buhari failed to provide the change he promised, at least on the score of separating party interests from public institutions? Has he committed one of the many offences Goodluck Jonathan was accused of?
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