Politics

Ministerial Slots: Tinubu May Dump Ex-govs, Prefers Technocrats — Source

Published

2 years ago

June 22, 2023

As the push for ministerial appointments gathers steam, there are strong indications that President Bola Tinubu may have dumped the idea of populating his government’s former governors and prefers technocrats and professionals to be members of his cabinet, Vanguard has learned.

A reliable source said that the fate of former governors, in the formation of the cabinet remains doubtful as the President is said not to be looking in their direction.

A source familiar with the development disclosed that former governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are making frantic efforts to ensure their nominees get appointments to the Board MDAs and parastatals.

Recall that President Tinubu, on Monday, dissolved the Governing Boards of all Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions, and Government-Owned Companies, except the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Senator George Akume, had in a statement, said the action was an exercise of the president’s “constitutional powers and the public interest.”

Ex-northern govs jostle for positions, push for nominees in MDAs, parastatals

With the dissolution of the MDAs and parastatals, Vanguard was informed that former governors are pushing to have their protégés appointed.

A source, who spoke to Vanguard in confidence, said the President is “trying to avoid these APC leaders.”

The source, who is a former governor, said aside from getting their nominees appointed as board chairmen, the former governors, especially those of northern extraction, are pushing to be ministers.

He said: “There is a little crisis in the northern APC; they are becoming a liability to Tinubu. Most of the former governors want to be ministers because they feel they contributed to Tinubu’s electoral victory.

‘’Some of these leaders collected mobilisation from Asiwaju but they now want to become ministers. As a result of that, they now want to become a distraction to the president by insisting that they should be appointed as ministers and also appointing people to the boards of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs.”

Some of them have also approached him (President) for contracts.

“For now, Tinubu is trying to avoid these former northern governors; he is trying to distance himself from them.

“The president is looking at appointing technocrats, especially from the north. In Kano, for instance, the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Senator Rabiu Kwakwanso is being favoured ahead of the former governor, Alhaji Umar Ganduje.

“As far as the president is concerned, Ganduje has lost Kano and the president believes Kwakwanso is more relevant to him at the federal level.”

Another source, however, insisted that Ganduje is still “Tinubu’s man.”

The fate of former govs doubtful in cabinet formation

On the fate of former governors making the list, a source said: “In some of the states like Ogun for instance, it is believed that the role played by Governor Dapo Abiodun during the APC presidential primary when he aligned with former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo did not go down well with the president. The president has not made up his mind as to which bloc of the APC in Ogun will produce a minister.

“We also heard that some former governors like Senator Ibikunle Amosun are trying to realign and make amends with the president.

“Some of them now ensure that they participate in the Friday Jumaat prayers where the president will be present.

READ ALSO: Tinubu’s Economic Reforms’ll Attract UK Investors To Nigeria – British Envoy
Amosun and a few other former governors were there.

“There is that crisis and the president is trying to avoid them.”

Why he went with a light delegation to Paris

The source further disclosed that, unlike what was obtained in the past when the president goes on a foreign trip with a large delegation made up of party chieftains, Tinubu decided to go with a light delegation to Paris.

He said: “Some of these former governors had wanted to accompany the President to Paris but he refused and insisted that he would only attend the summit with his aides.”

Recall that the President, on Tuesday, arrived in Paris, France, for the Summit on New Global Financing Pact, which will be hosted by President Emmanuel Macron.

The President will participate in a two-day summit, June 22nd and 23rd, that will look at opportunities to restore fiscal space to countries that face difficult short-term financial challenges, especially the most indebted, mobilize innovative financing for countries vulnerable to climate change and economies struggling with the effects of COVID-19 and energy crisis.
VANGUARD

Politics

Edo PDP Knocks Okpebholo Over ₦2.5b Donation To UBTH

Published

20 hours ago

August 27, 2025

Editor

Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the approval of ₦2.5 billion to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital by Governor Monday Okpebholo.

The Governor announced the approval on Tuesday when the new Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Idia Ize-Iyamu, paid a courtesy visit to him in Government House, Benin.

Ize-Iyamu had requested the state government’s assistance in constructing a world-class Paediatric Centre worth N2.5 billion which the governor approved.

However, the PDP, in a statement by its Caretaker Committee Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare said the governor should have invested the money on state-owned hospitals instead of a federal institution.

The statement statement partly reads, “This misadventure is not only reckless but a glaring example of the 2027 election fixation and desperate eye-service politics that has defined Okpebholo’s almost one year in office.

“Edo people are being made to suffer while their resources are squandered on federal facilities that are not the primary responsibility of the state.

“We align with the position of the Association of Resident Doctors under Edo State Government Employment, who have openly decried this misplaced priority. Their statement exposes what Edo people already know, our hospitals are collapsing, yet the Governor prefers to chase cheap popularity.”

The PDP said that Stella Obasanjo Hospital, which was rebuilt with state funds, remained locked with less than a tenth in use, wondering why the ₦2.5 billion was not channelled there.

The statement added, “The Edo Specialist Hospital continues to cry for expansion and adequate support but has been ignored by a government obsessed with pleasing political benefactors and seeking headlines.

“The General Hospital in Abudu is no more than a mere patent medicine store, and yet, ‘₦2.5 billion that belongs to Odogwu is being given to Caesar.”

The PDP also noted that Edo doctors, who only recently suspended their strike, still have their legitimate demands unmet.

“Edo people obviously did not elect a Governor to act as a philanthropist to federal institutions. They elected a leader to fix our hospitals, build capacity, and ensure access to healthcare for all. By neglecting this sacred duty, Okpebholo has shown that he is unprepared, unserious, and out of touch with the realities of Edo citizens.

“We in the PDP demand that this decision be reversed and that urgent attention be given to Edo-owned hospitals which directly serve our people. Edo deserves working hospitals, not political monuments built with eyes on the 2027 elections.

“This is not leadership. This is a reckless waste. And Edo people will not forget,” the statement added.

Efforts to get the government’s response proved futile, as a top official, who pleaded anonymity, said that a response will come on Thursday.

Politics

PDP Zones 2027 Presidential Ticket To South

Published

3 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party’s 102nd National Executive Committee meeting has resolved to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South while retaining the existing National Working Committee zoning formula for the November elective convention.

Addressing journalists after the NEC meeting in Abuja on Monday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed that the decision followed the presentation of a report by the Zoning Committee chaired by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri.

Recall that during the 2023 elections, the PDP threw its presidential ticket open, leading to the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its candidate.

However, some southern leaders, led by then Rivers State Governor and now FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, opposed him over what they saw as an unfair power-sharing arrangement for the South.

In the end, the PDP candidate lost to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.

After declaring the zoning arrangement, Ologunagba added that the NEC also expressed satisfaction over the level of preparedness of the PDP’s various organs, Chapters and structures for the 2025 Elective National Convention scheduled for Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital on Saturday 15th to Sunday 16th November 2025.

Ologunagba, while reading the 102nd NEC communiqué, said the meeting commended the efforts of PDP governors, Board of Trustees, NWC, National Assembly caucus, and other party organs toward the success of the 2025 National Convention.

The communique read in part, “NEC received and after extensive deliberation approved the report of the National Convention Zoning Committee which recommended that all PDP National Office positions currently in the Northern Region of the country remain in the Northern Region.

“That all PDP National Office positions currently in the Southern Region of the country remain in the Southern Region.

“That having retained the position of the National Chairman in the Northern Region of the country, the Presidential Candidate of the Party for the 2027 General Election is hereby zoned to the Southern Region.

“That the Regions should immediately micro-zone positions within its Region for implementation.

“NEC also received an update from the PDP Constitution Amendment Committee and directed the Committee to circulate the Draft Constitution Amendment to various Organs and Chapters of the Party for further inputs.”

Ologunagba said NEC confirmed Umar Damagum as substantive National Chairman, effective Monday, August 25, 2025, in recognition of his role in stabilising the party, pending the National Convention.

He continued, “NEC condemns the resort by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to State Capture through state-backed intimidation, manipulation, inducement, coercion and violence against Nigerians as witnessed in APC’s muzzling of the recent bye-elections in parts of the country.

“NEC particularly expressed dismay and condemned the militarisation of the recent bye-elections especially in Kaduna and Taraba States as well as Zamfara State where excessive security agencies were deployed in the conduct of the run-off election in only five Polling Units in Kaura Namoda South State Constituency.

“NEC declares that this action by the APC is a confirmation of the APC’s desire to turn our country into a totalitarian One-Party State which is a clear and present danger to democracy and the corporate existence of our country.

“NEC reassures Nigerians of PDP’s commitment to Democracy and the defense of the interest and well-being of all citizens as we work hard to further reposition our Party to regain power in 2027.”

Politics

Why APC Candidates Contested 2023 LG Election Despite Intimidation — State Chairman

Published

3 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Edo State Chairman
of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarret Tenebe, has explained why his party did not boycott the 2023 local government council election in the state despite intimidation and obvious efforts to compromise the exercise by the then government.

He said the party allowed its candidates to contest the local government election in order to gather momentum for the governorship election which was some months away as at then.

Tenebe spoke on Monday when he received the chairmanship candidates of the APC in that election at the party secretariat, Benin City, where he assured them that their labour would not be in vain.

He commended them for their determination, confidence and belief in the party despite being in an opposition at that time contesting against an incumbent government led by former governor Godwin Obaseki.

Tenebe said “People never believed that APC should contest that election but I believed that we should enable us to gather momentum for the governorship election which was coming then.

“Consultations began with party leaders and we all later agreed that the party should contest that election which was keenly contested.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under Godwin Obaseki wrote the results of that election.

“You people did your best in the election and campaigned vigorously for senator Monday Okpebholo to win the governorship election in the state.

“You work hard to ensure APC win the governorship election as that is the only way your stolen mandate will be returned.

“The party will stand with you and not allow your labour to be in vain. The party will not allow you to work alone as the party will work with you. The governor is very much aware of your support”.

Speaking on behalf of the candidates, Enahoro Aikpokpo said they contested at a very difficult time to keep the party alive despite the intimidation and challenges they faced.

He called on the party to consider them and give them the right of first refusal as they are interested in the forthcoming local government election in the states.