Close to two weeks into President
Muhammadu Buhari’s second term, many of the ministers who were confident of
being re-appointed are no longer sure about their fate as the waiting game
continues.
Technically, Buhari could not
have released his ministerial list before the inauguration of the national
assembly, which is due for Tuesday, June 11.
He is expected to send the list
to the senate as “executive communication” and could get in trouble with the
lawmakers if he officially made the content known to the public before the
letter is read on the floor of the upper chamber.
However, Aso Rock insiders revealed that the gap between the end of the last administration and the
inauguration of the national assembly has provided the president an opportunity
to reflect on his decision to retain most of the ministers that worked with him
during his first term.
There has also been intense
lobbying, home and abroad, for positions in the cabinet.
 |
| Buhari after the valedictory for ministers. Many are tipped to return |
CLOSE TO HIS CHEST
An insider revealed that the
president has continued to keep everybody guessing on the final list.
“The president has given nothing
away basically,” said the insider who is ordinarily in the know of things.
“Up till now, we do not know if
he would pick 36 ministers, as he did in 2015, or 42 by picking an additional
minister per geo-political zone. And nobody can say for sure that they know who
is on the list and who is not. The president is keeping everything closet to
his chest.”
It had been speculated that Boss
Mustapha would retain his position as secretary to the government of the
federation (SGF) and Abba Kyari would return as chief of staff.
It is still speculative if these
key officials would be returned even though they still function in such
offices.
“There is a big battle for the
office of chief of staff, which many consider to be the prime minister position
if it were a parliamentary system,” the insider added.
Those thought to be interested in
the position are Nasir el-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna state; Adamu Adamu, a
long-time ally of the president who served as education minister from
2015-2019; Abubakar Malami, who was attorney-general; as well as Tunde Bakare,
pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly who is very close to the president.
Hameed Ali, the
comptroller-general of Nigeria customs, is also said to be in the mix. He
served as chief of staff to Buhari before the 2015 presidential election and
the retired colonel was reluctant to go to customs before his associates
prevailed on him.
 |
| Since replacing Babachir Lawal as SGF, Mustapha has been in the president’s good books |
THE PROBABLES
Before the hiatus, some ministers
had been shoo-in for re-appointment and while there is yet no indication that
they will not return, “everything has become fluid”, according to another Aso
Rock insider.
Rotimi Amaechi, former minister
of transportation, is naturally expected to return having failed to install a
candidate of his choice in trying to unseat Nyesom Wike as the governor of his
home state, Rivers.
“Buhari, for obvious reasons,
cannot drip Amaechi from the cabinet. It would amount to double jeopardy for
Amaechi after the events in Rivers,” the insider said.
Suleiman Hussein Adamu, who was
minister of water resources, is still expected to return. He is one of the
closest ministers to the president and a very influential one at that.
Hadi Sirika, minister of state
for aviation, is also on the list of probables, along with Suleiman Hassan,
minister of environment who previously served in the housing portfolio,
AbdulRahman Dambazzau, interior minister, and Lai Mohammed, who has a personal
relationship with the president.
Babatunde Fashola, erstwhile
minister of works, power and housing, was initially thought to be on the list
of probables and was being considered for minister of federal capital territory
but things have become hazy with the entry of Akinwunmi Ambode, former governor
of Lagos state, into the fray.
Ambode, a possible, was muscled
out of the Lagos governorship after falling out with Bola Tinubu, his estranged
godfather, and appears set to be compensated with an appointment by Buhari.
“If Buhari goes for 42 ministers,
Ambode will fill the slot of either Lagos or south-west, but nobody can say for
sure how the president’s mind is working,” the second insider said.
 |
| Buhari is expected to compensate Ambode with an appointment but will it be ministerial? |
Malami, despite his interest in
the chief of staff position, is considered to be a possible and may be returned
to his former portfolio. It is understood that he is already preparing to
return to his former position and has informed his associates about it.
Ibe Kachikwu, minister of state
for petroleum resources, is also a possible returnee, according to Aso Rock
insiders.
Kachikwu, a man of big ideas,
found it particularly difficult to push through his reform agenda during
Buhari’s first term.
He did not get along with
Maikanti Baru, his successor as the group managing director of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Baru is due for retirement from NNPC and
is interested in replacing Kachikwu as minister.
Baru could be one of the new faces
in the cabinet if the president picks him.
Hadiza Bala Usman, the managing
director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), is one of the possibles as she
enjoys the confidence of the president, but it is understood she is not
keen on a ministerial appointment.
Who are the likely new faces?
“That is one of the best-kept
secrets of the president,” the insider revealed
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