Ismail Abdulazeez Mantu Reporting
In a bid to build an all inclusive national government which cut across political parties, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has put out an unusual list of 42-man cabinet members, with former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike topping, alongside former governors Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, featuring in the president’s list of nominees that is heading to the Senate for approval between now and next week.
A source close to the presidency who pleaded anonymity revealed to Truth Live News that the 42-man list which has five immediate former governors will be made public soon.
The unusual list, already dubbed the ‘cabinet of (political) unity’, will have nominees drawn from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and many technocrats.
President Bola Tinubu’s handshake across party lines has already elicited contests and intrigues in political camps over choice of suitable representatives in some of the key states.
The President has less than 20 days left out of the 60 allowed by the Constitution for him to send his list of Ministers to the Senate for screening.
The new cabinet, as gathered by Truth Live News, will consist of 42 Ministers and 20 Special Advisers. Some of the remarkable difference from the last administration would be the likely abrogation of Ministers of State. Also, SAs will contribute to discussions at the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings.
The proposed nominees, according to a document seen at the weekend, await President Tinubu’s formal approval before it is officially announced. Some of the nominees have actually started working in the assigned roles.
Some of the governors that might have been penciled down to be part of the final list to be submitted to the senate included former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, especially for his role in the emergence of Hon. Tajudeen Abbas as the Speaker House of Representative. Besides, the report of the committee set up by the APC in 2018 on true federalism, which he headed, is said to be one of the major reasons he is being rooted for by Tinubu’s camp.
Others are former governors Abdulahi Ganduje (Kano), Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Muhammad Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa) and Nyesom Wike (Rivers).
It was also gathered that former Ogun State governor, Senator Gbenga Daniel is being favoured ahead of Senator Ibikunle Amosun for the ministerial list.
Former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, is also being considered for a Foreign Affairs Minister role. He had served in the last administration as Minister of Mines and Steel.