Baring last minutes switch, President Bola Tinubu who is expected in Lagos Today from London will present his Ministerial List for confirmation by the National Assembly after the Salah celebrations, IgbereTV has learned.
As stipulated by law, Mr Tinubu is expected to forward the list of his preferred cabinet members to the parliament within 60 days of his assumption of office.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Meanwhile, according to Premium Times, strong indications emerged on Monday afternoon, June 26, 2023 that Nigeria’s former Minister of State for Health, Muhammad Pate, is likely to make president Tinubu’s cabinet, after he (Pate) resigned his appointment as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Global Vaccine Alliance GAVI ‘to return and contribute to his country’.
Pate’s hint
On Monday, the global vaccine alliance, GAVI, announced Mr Pate’s decision to decline his appointment as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Mr Pate, who was scheduled to assume office as GAVI’s CEO on 3 August, informed the organisation that “he has taken an incredibly difficult decision to accept a request to return and contribute to his home country, Nigeria.”
His reason for rejecting GAVI’s appointment has raised speculations that he may be considering a position in Mr Tinubu’s cabinet.
While IgbereTV could not reach Mr Pate, a source who works with President Tinubu confirmed to Premium Times that Mr Pate’s name was on the list of guests scheduled to see Mr Tinubu “about two weeks ago.”
The source, however, could not confirm if the president eventually met him.
GAVI’s Appointment
Gavi had on 13 February approved the appointment of Mr Pate as its next CEO.
Mr Pate, a medical doctor, was to replace Seth Barkley, also a medical practitioner, who is expected to end his 12-year reign as the organisation’s CEO on 3rd August.
Gavi announced Mr Pate as Mr Berkley’s successor, even as it promised to continue its work to support routine immunisation, outbreak response and COVID-19 vaccinations worldwide.
Rejection
Gavi, in a statement published on its website on Monday, said the board decided to appoint David Marlow, currently Gavi’s Chief Operating Officer, to the position of Interim Chief Executive Officer, effective 3 August.
It said the appointment follows a communication from Mr Pate, that he will not be able to join Gavi.
“Mr Pate informed the Gavi Board Chair and Vice Chair that he has taken an incredibly difficult decision to accept a request to return and contribute to his home country, Nigeria,” Gavi wrote.
“Gavi fully respects the decision and wishes Mr Pate the very best for the future. On informing Gavi, Mr Pate thanked the Chair of the Gavi Board, José Manuel Barroso, the diverse set of Gavi Board members and partners, current CEO Seth Berkley, and the secretariat staff for their support over the last few months, commenting that he will remain a steadfast champion of the Gavi mission.”
A Presidency source said although “the holiday lasts until Thursday, Tinubu may extend his stay till Sunday or Monday next week before he returns to Abuja.”
He returns amidst uncertainty about his ministerial list, which is almost ready to be sent to the National Assembly.
Another source, who spoke with The Punch, said, “I learned that Tinubu’s ministerial list is almost done. He kept a core of ministers to himself, heavily influenced by the kitchen cabinet of SAs.
“The politicians are in ‘Bolekaja’ over the rest. It’s a slugfest now.”
In March, Alake, then Special Adviser to the President-elect, said Tinubu would constitute his cabinet within one month of assuming office.
Alake said this is in line with the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, mandating Presidents-elect and governors-elect to submit the names of their ministerial and commissioner-nominees within 60 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or state House of Assembly.
He said, “I told you in an earlier interview that it didn’t take Asiwaju more than three weeks to form his cabinet as governor.
“That was as at that time. I think 60 days is even too much.
“A month, maximum, is enough for any serious government to form its cabinet and put a structure of government in place after the swearing-in.”
Re-echoing the narrative, the then Director of Media and Publicity for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, said, “What I can assure you is that even if the list is not ready on the first day, it will not take Asiwaju more than one month to put his cabinet together. He definitely will not wait for 60 days to assemble a competent cabinet.”
In 2015, Nigerians lamented the delay by the Buhari administration in appointing ministers, which took about six months to form its cabinet.
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