The ministerial list of President Muhammadu Buhari may be changed after the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as the President of the Senate and Yakubu Dogara as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Saraki, an ex- governor of Kwara state, hails from North-Central while Dogara is from Bauchi, North-East.
Ike Ekweremadu, the Deputy Senate President, hails from the South-East while Yusuf Lasun, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, is from the South-West.
All these leaders of NASS, except deputy senate president, are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ekweremadu is the only member of the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Punch reports that Buhari was said to be waiting for the result of the election before making declaration on major nominations in his administration.
Separately from the ministers, the president was said to be waiting for the election of key officers of the National Assembly before announcing his Secretary to the Government of the Federation, his Chief of Staff and Special Advisers.
It was learnt that the post of the SGF previously kept for the South-East may now go to another zone because of the election of Ekweremadu.
In expectation that the position would go to the zone, Rochas Okorocha, the governor of Imo state, was said to have succumbed three names to the leader of the country.
Okorocha’s men are an ex-governor of Anambra state, senator Chris Ngige; a former governor of old Abia state, Ogbonnaya Onu and Prof. Anthony Anwuka.
It was also learnt that in the cooperation that brought Saraki to power, the zone decided to rather go for the position of the deputy senate president instead of the SGF.
“President Buhari is seriously tinkering with the original list he has for political offices. This is because the emergence of the officers of the National Assembly has affected the original list he has,” the presidential source said.
“Though he was expecting some elements of surprise in the election, but I think he never bargained for a total disregard to party directive in the election of the officers.”
After these conclusions of president only the South-South area has not promoted.
According to the source some people were disagreeing that since the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, is from the zone, that should be believed as a position.
“Because of this, the zone is being considered for a strategic position by the President either as the SGF, CoS or others. But politicians from the North-East are still mounting pressure on the President to cede the position of the SGF to the area,” the insider added.
Lasun emergence is also said to be intimidating the zoning of the office of the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation to the South-West.
It was said that Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, was appointed with the responsibility of proposing a lawyer for the position.
Osinbajo will be in charge of justice and law reforms to be worked out by the Buhari government.
If those who want the position taken out of the zone succeed, it may go to Kebbi state, where a particular SAN who worked for the presidential ambition of Buhari and Osinbajo was being believed.
Meanwhile, the President has not made up his mind on this matter.
The name of a former Commissioner of Finance in Lagos state, Olawale Edun, was being advertised as one of the people to be nominated from the zone.
The problem in his appointment was reportedly that he was being nominated out of Ogun state where he is from with the intention of occupying the slot of his native state.
Meanwhile, the governor of Ogun state, Ibikunle Amosun, is fighting the move by supposedly saying he will be the one to appoint minister from his state.
Also being speculated as a minister is the Executive Chairman Lagos state Board of Internal Revenue and Chief Executive Officer Lagos state Internal Revenue Service, Babatunde Fowler.
Meanwhile, attempts made to get the respond to the story were not successful.
But a insider said that “the non-appointment of some of the key aides of the President was because President Buhari was waiting for the elections at NASS.
“He didn’t want to make the mistake of appointing his aides from the zone where the leadership of both the Senate and the House of Representatives could have emerged.
“You know that the case of the South-East was particularly worrisome because they didn’t vote for the APC and they don’t have any senator or Rep from the APC. So, the way of taking care of the zone in key appointment was giving us headache.
“Now, the zone has come through the back door to get the office of the Deputy Senate President. That is okay for the Presidency. That shows the zone has helped itself and has also helped the Presidency.”
Recent reports indicate that President Buhari, may have refused the leadership of his ruling party in reaching decisions on ministerial nominations.
Meanwhile, Buhari has been in systematic considerations with the immediate former president, Goodluck Jonathan.
Saraki, an ex- governor of Kwara state, hails from North-Central while Dogara is from Bauchi, North-East.
Ike Ekweremadu, the Deputy Senate President, hails from the South-East while Yusuf Lasun, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, is from the South-West.
All these leaders of NASS, except deputy senate president, are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ekweremadu is the only member of the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Punch reports that Buhari was said to be waiting for the result of the election before making declaration on major nominations in his administration.
Separately from the ministers, the president was said to be waiting for the election of key officers of the National Assembly before announcing his Secretary to the Government of the Federation, his Chief of Staff and Special Advisers.
It was learnt that the post of the SGF previously kept for the South-East may now go to another zone because of the election of Ekweremadu.
In expectation that the position would go to the zone, Rochas Okorocha, the governor of Imo state, was said to have succumbed three names to the leader of the country.
Okorocha’s men are an ex-governor of Anambra state, senator Chris Ngige; a former governor of old Abia state, Ogbonnaya Onu and Prof. Anthony Anwuka.
It was also learnt that in the cooperation that brought Saraki to power, the zone decided to rather go for the position of the deputy senate president instead of the SGF.
“President Buhari is seriously tinkering with the original list he has for political offices. This is because the emergence of the officers of the National Assembly has affected the original list he has,” the presidential source said.
“Though he was expecting some elements of surprise in the election, but I think he never bargained for a total disregard to party directive in the election of the officers.”
After these conclusions of president only the South-South area has not promoted.
According to the source some people were disagreeing that since the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, is from the zone, that should be believed as a position.
“Because of this, the zone is being considered for a strategic position by the President either as the SGF, CoS or others. But politicians from the North-East are still mounting pressure on the President to cede the position of the SGF to the area,” the insider added.
Lasun emergence is also said to be intimidating the zoning of the office of the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation to the South-West.
It was said that Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, was appointed with the responsibility of proposing a lawyer for the position.
Osinbajo will be in charge of justice and law reforms to be worked out by the Buhari government.
If those who want the position taken out of the zone succeed, it may go to Kebbi state, where a particular SAN who worked for the presidential ambition of Buhari and Osinbajo was being believed.
Meanwhile, the President has not made up his mind on this matter.
The name of a former Commissioner of Finance in Lagos state, Olawale Edun, was being advertised as one of the people to be nominated from the zone.
The problem in his appointment was reportedly that he was being nominated out of Ogun state where he is from with the intention of occupying the slot of his native state.
Meanwhile, the governor of Ogun state, Ibikunle Amosun, is fighting the move by supposedly saying he will be the one to appoint minister from his state.
Also being speculated as a minister is the Executive Chairman Lagos state Board of Internal Revenue and Chief Executive Officer Lagos state Internal Revenue Service, Babatunde Fowler.
Meanwhile, attempts made to get the respond to the story were not successful.
But a insider said that “the non-appointment of some of the key aides of the President was because President Buhari was waiting for the elections at NASS.
“He didn’t want to make the mistake of appointing his aides from the zone where the leadership of both the Senate and the House of Representatives could have emerged.
“You know that the case of the South-East was particularly worrisome because they didn’t vote for the APC and they don’t have any senator or Rep from the APC. So, the way of taking care of the zone in key appointment was giving us headache.
“Now, the zone has come through the back door to get the office of the Deputy Senate President. That is okay for the Presidency. That shows the zone has helped itself and has also helped the Presidency.”
Recent reports indicate that President Buhari, may have refused the leadership of his ruling party in reaching decisions on ministerial nominations.
Meanwhile, Buhari has been in systematic considerations with the immediate former president, Goodluck Jonathan.
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