States Submit 108 Names To Buhari For Cabinet, Boards

Thirty-six states in the federation have
submitted 108 names to President Muhammadu
Buhari for appointment as ministers and board
members, credible sources told Daily Trust
yesterday.
This is coming about 41 days since the president
announced his intention to expand his cabinet
and make more board appointments to appease
aggrieved party members.
Daily Trust findings have shown that each state
submitted names of three All Progressive
Congress (APC) members to be appointed as
ministers or heads of federal agencies.
On October 31, Buhari had during the National
Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the APC
disclosed his intention to expand the ministerial
appointments from 36 to an undisclosed
number.
The president reportedly allocated one more
ministerial slot to Kano and Lagos states; as well
as one to each of the six geopolitical zones.
Sources in some APC states in the northwest,
north central and northeast said Buhari, few
weeks ago, directed their governors to submit
three names each.
Efforts to speak to APC leaders in Abuja on
record and others at the geopolitical zones were
not fruitful last night.
But a senior party chieftain who declined to be
named said the party hierarchy was consulted.
Sources in Katsina and Kano, Bauchi, Borno, and
Plateau told Daily Trust that their governors had
since complied with the presidential directive.
One of the sources in the northwest said: "The
president had asked our governor for three
credible APC members who have no issue with
any of the anti-graft agencies.
"The president was specific; he said APC
members who worked for the success of the
party. He said their precedence would be looked
at and one might be considered for ministerial
appointment and the rest probably for big board
appointments," he said.
Another source in the northeast said it was a
pain reliever when their governor was asked to
also submit three names to the presidency.
"Our governor was under mounting pressure
from party faithful who felt used and dumped
since this administration came on-board.
"Many have exhausted their patience, especially
when they heard nothing weeks after the APC
NEC meeting where Buhari assured them that
he would do something in terms of
appointments.
"It was however good news when a request was
made in that direction that names should be
submitted; the sooner the president does the
appointment the better, the grumbling is too
much," he said.
In a recent interview with newsmen, the
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai
Mohammed had defended Buhari's delay in
making some critical appointments.
But it was however gathered that crisis among
various interest groups in the APC was
responsible for the delay in the expansion of
federal cabinet as pledged by the president.
Multiple sources privy to the development told
Daily Trust that the delay was as a result of
crisis especially in states over who makes it to
the federal cabinet.
Another source close to the president said the
delay was caused by the inability of the key
stakeholders to resolve the selection crisis that
has erupted.
The source said the president was managing the
situation to forestall a repeat of what happened
in 2015 that led to the outcry by people who
contributed to Buhari's electoral victory.
The source cited the case of northeast whereby
the person nomininated from Bauchi has torn
the stakeholders in the state apart.
"You know the slot of the northeast has been
zoned to Bauchi state but all the National
Assembly members and other stakeholders have
kicked against the person who was nominated.
In fact, they said that the slot should go to
another state rather than the person who was
picked," he said.
The source said similar crises are happening in
states where the geopolitical zones ministerial
slot has been allotted.
Another source told Daily Trust that some APC
bigwigs vehemently opposed the nominees from
certain states, saying such people do not have
any electoral value, especially now that
President Buhari will be going for a second term.
For example, the source said, in the party
stalwarts said the nominees from Kano State are
not well-known politicians that could galvanize
the people for the president when the need
arises.
The source added that some supporters of Sen
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso insist that the state
ministerial slot should be ceded to them for
fairness.
The source, however, said it was not clear if the
slot will be given to Kwankwaso's camp.
In Katsina State it said that some party stalwarts
were not comfortable with the person
nominated, insisting that another person should
be considered since the person is currently
occupying an elective position .
Another source said at least four ministers, one
each from northwest, northeast, northcentral
and southeast may be dropped for new ones to
come in. Some stakeholders blame Buhari for
the crisis as he did not stand firm on whom he
would want to work with among all the available
persons suggested for him.
Yet another source said the crisis may be
deeper than what political observers will see as
it is a battle for the soul of most APC politicians
who feel the president's planned cabinet
expansion is an opportunity for them to have
their own interest protected.
Speaking on the matter, a ranking senator said
the nomination process has been hijacked by
the cabal in the Presidency.
"Let me tell you, it's the same cabal that
delayed the constitution of the cabinet for six
months when Buhari came on board that is at
work," he said. But another source blamed
Buhari for the delay, saying "don't blame any
cabal, it is the president himself that is delaying
it. It is the fault of Baba go-slow, not anybody.
If he is firm on what he wants, we will not be
talking about this now."