The presidency has made it clear that under President Muhammadu Buhari, the office of the first lady would be completely different from what obtained in the past, adding that the era of first ladies issuing oil wells and licences was over.

“President Buhari promised that there would be a clear difference between the role played by his wife during his tenure and that played by many previous first ladies.

"All that ostentation, ubiquitousness and arrogance we have encountered from the office are over and done with. Change has come.”

Reacting to allegations in a section of the media that the wife of President Buhari had moved into the first lady’s office in Aso Villa, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said that even though there was absolutely nothing wrong with Mrs Buhari making use of the office space reserved for the first lady, she had however not done so in her capacity.

“The ideal platform from which she will be useful to Nigeria’s women and children is still being thought out. Once this has been concluded, Mrs Buhari’s role will become clearer to all Nigerians. There will be nothing shady or hidden about it. There will be no access to public funds. It will be purely private and voluntary,” Garba Shehu explained.

Shehu recalled that the time Mrs Buhari had to make use of the office was at the beginning of the present administration, adding that the meeting during which she hosted the wives of governors was held in a section of the Villa’s banquet hall, not in the First Lady’s office.