Ministerial List's First Batch: 2 Kinds of People President Tinubu Appointed
FCT, Abuja - After several weeks of anticipation, Nigeria's president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu finally unveiled the list of the ministers he’d like to work with, those available for ‘service’ to the struggling nation.
President Tinubu, dubbed Nigeria’s political kingmaker, didn’t spring up real surprises.
Source: Getty Images
Compensation politics as Tinubu reveals ministerial nominees
The president's supporters and close allies had noised the prospect of Tinubu headhunting the best brains for appointment into his cabinet, but going by Thursday’s (July 27, 2023) list, it is just the typical Tinubu roll call: one, reward for loyalty, and two, recompense for enabling his victory at the very competitive poll.
The naming of perhaps the strongest opposition member alive, Nyesom Wike, was widely expected. Needless to say, the development was a result of the notable part the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart played in February in the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain’s path to Aso Villa.
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Following at least one open denial, in March, he finally admitted his covert support for the septuagenarian.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting with 48 support groups in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, Wike divulged that he and other leaders of the PDP in Rivers state worked for Tinubu to win the February 25 poll because they want the power to return to the South.
Wike was represented by the state’s PDP chairman, Ambassador Desmond Akawo.
He said:
“Why we supported Asiwaju (Tinubu) is so that power should return to the South. Whether Asiwaju or Peter Obi, for us the next president must be a Southerner in the spirit of equity.”
Wike personally repeated same assertion in May during an interview with the BBC.
Then, Mallam Nasir El Rufai. The immediate past governor of Kaduna state was also an inevitable choice. With respect to the 2023 election, he stuck with Tinubu through thick and thin, took sticks on behalf of the former Lagos governor, and led a gigantic battle in his stead. It was El Rufai who championed the battle against Godwin Emefiele (former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN) at the time of the naira redesign policy and cash crunch. He, Yahaya Bello (the incumbent governor of Kogi state), and Bello Matawalle, the immediate past governor of Zamfara state, dragged the CBN before the judiciary and won at the Supreme Court.
It is noteworthy that Messrs Wike and El Rufai had already occupied ministerial positions. Wike, former minister of state for education; El Rufai, served as minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from 2003 to 2007.
There is also a Dele Alake, a journalist who has been in alliance with Tinubu for well over 25 years. Having been overlooked for the Chief of Staff to the President’s role, he was finally honoured with a minister’s position – subject to ratification by the Senate.
At present, Alake, 66, serves as the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy.
The women in Tinubu’s ministerial list
Not less than four out of the seven women who made President Tinubu's ministerial list have strong ties to the ruling party and at least one, a die-hard supporter of the 71-year-old African leader.
Barrister Hannatu Musawa was the deputy spokesperson of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Dr. Betta Edu is the national women leader of the APC, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha Onyejocha, a card-carrying member, was a ranking lawmaker in the federal house of representatives who represented Isuikwuato/Umunneochi constituency of Abia state, and Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye Kennedy-Ohaneye is popular as the only female presidential aspirant of the APC, in the build-up to the 2023 general elections.
Tinubu’s proposed ministers: Orji Kalu, Ganduje could have easily made list
Two men who could have conveniently made the list are Orji Uzor Kalu, the former senate chief whip; and Abdullahi Ganduje, the immediate past governor of Kano state.
Ganduje - like El Rufai - could have comfortably been listed by Tinubu. But his new bid to become the national chairman of the APC, of course, swung the pendulum.
As made public by Kalu, a friend of President Tinubu and former presidential aspirant, the current government offered him a ministerial role.
He disclosed:
“I asked him (Tinubu) to put anybody of his choice (from Abia state).”
Compensation politics: Same practice by Buhari
Tinubu had said he’ll sustain former President Muhammadu Buhari’s legacy. His ministerial list just about alludes to that.
He was unarguably massively instrumental to Buhari becoming the 15th president of Nigeria. He, thereafter, installed several of his disciples in government. Name them: Sunday Dare, Lai Mohammed, Babatunde Fashola, Rauf Aregbesola, Adeleke Mamora, et al.
Commenting on the development, a Twitter user, @Mykoladoo, said ministerial positions under the APC administration have become a compensation slot, rather than being the list of technocrats who can truly make a difference and genuinely serve the Nigerian masses.
@Mykoladoo wrote:
“A list filled with ex-governors, senators, and reps. Nothing for those who waited to be leaders of tomorrow.”
Ministerial list: Full list of 28 nominees President Tinubu sent to senate
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that President Bola Tinubu finally transmitted the names of 28 nominees for ministerial positions under his cabinet to the Senate.
The list consists of former governors and party members.
Source: Legit.ng
