Ex-President Jonathan’s former Aide, Kingsley Kuku, Gone into Oblivion

Has Kingsley Kuku, a former aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, suddenly become yesterday’s man?

This is the question many who have been following his story with interest are asking, given his unenviable status nowadays.

When Kuku worked as an aide to former President Jonathan, he was loved by many and had a large following, especially because he had so much money to throw around. He was also so popular, powerful and influential.

However, immediately after his principal lost the 2015 presidential election, he began to fade into oblivion. Shortly after the new government of President Muhammadu Buhari came on board, the Ondo State-born former activist scampered abroad for fear of being arrested by the anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), claiming that he was going for knee surgery at the Andrews Sports, Medicine and Orthopaedic Centre in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. But this, it was gathered, was a dummy to escape from being interrogated for his role in some corruption-related offences.

Ever since he has been making frantic efforts to regain relevance in the nation’s polity.  Unlike in the past, his birthdays recently have been without the usual fanfare. There were no congratulatory adverts in any newspapers or magazines, which suggests that he may have been abandoned and left to his fate. Or could it be that he had all along been surrounded by fair-weather friends?

Kuku had embraced activism early in his university days as one of the socio-politically conscious young Nigerian students who were agitated about the then military rule and dictatorship in Nigeria. He was a student leader and a one-time National Mobilisation Officer of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), who was active in the campaign and struggle for the demilitarisation of the Nigerian society and absolute return of democratic governance to Nigeria.