President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial nominees was unveiled on Thursday by the Senate for screening and confirmation after a long wait. iwitnesslive.com David Kabyesi reveals some top rated secrets behind Tinubu’s choice and chopped names.
1. The Long Wait: While the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria stipulates that the President must submit material list to upper house for screening within 60 days of assuming office, but 60 days seems too short for Jagaban who was thorn between party’s law and tents and the hunger pangs to go for technocrats. The delay was necessitated by untimely resignation of APC stalwats, Abdulahi Adamu and calls from party bigwigs to drop top names like erstwhile Kano State Governor, Abdulahi Ganduje who is highly preferred by Tinubu to lead the party.
2. Competence or Compensation? Reward for loyalty has been Tinubu’s age-long antecedent. That is why its a known fact that most of the 25 names that made the first list were majorly members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), some technocrats like Professor Ali Pate (an academic and health expert); Wale Edun (an economist); and Waheed Adelabu (a banker); while the likes of Nyesom Wike (leader of the G-5 governors that rebelled against PDP) and former Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi were compensated for their roles in ensuring that Tinubu won in their respective states.
3. Why ministerial nominees from some states are delayed: Lagos, Kano, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Gombe, Kebbi, Plateau, Osun, Yobe, and Zamfara were Othe excluded from the list. As for Kano, post-election romance between the president and presidential candidate of NNPP, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and the resignation of the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, which now creates a vacuum, are factors believed to be responsible for the non-inclusion of Kano in the released ministerial list.
Lagos’ delay may not be unconnected with political struggles and need to harmonise interest.
4 Expect to see new portfolios to accommodate the long lists of Tinubu’s men who embrace his economic restoration agenda.
5.Where is Simon Lalong? Many wondered why name of the former Plateau State was not mentioned despite serving as Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Director General. Well, the pending suit instituted by Lalong and the APC is one major factor why he may be overlooked.
6. Missing Portfolios: Questions have been raised why the President failed to attach portfolios to names nominated for ministerial appointments, but the feeling in the Presidency is that whilst the screening process is going on, that will allow Mr. President and his team to look critically at the portfolios and the characters of individuals to how they fit into his plans. Me President wants to be sure that these people can effectively strive irrespective of where they find themselves, say for specialised fields like the Attorney-General. Tinubu believes many of them can fit in anywhere. And what’s important is also that Mr. President intends to separate portfolios or restructure the ministries in such a way you might be hearing of new ministries that were not standalone ministries before.
7. Seven women made the lists: Of the 28 nominees, only seven are women: Hannatu Musawa, Betta Edu, Dorris Uzoka, Nkeiruka Onyejocha, Stella Okotette, Uju Ohaneye, and Iman Suleiman-Ibrahim. President Tinubu had promised to feature women and youth “prominently” in his administration.