President Muhammadu Buhari is set to resign from his position as Minister of Petroleum Resources, just as emerging reports show that the president has made a list of forty-two (42) new Minsters ahead of May 29 inauguration ceremony.
Igbere TV recalls that after he became President in 2015, Buhari appointed himself as the substantive Minister of Petroleum, and Ibe Kachikwu, as the Minister of State for Petroleum.
“The President is likely to resign from the Petroleum Ministry, while the Minister of State for Petroleum portfolio will be abolished,” a top source within the Presidency, who spoke to Igbere TV on the condition of anonymity, revealed on Monday.
This comes as the president is expected to convene the last meeting of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, and officially dissolve its membership, this week.
Already, a special FEC meeting held today at the villa — presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo — for the Ministers to attend to last-minute memos and projects, while the valedictory FEC meeting is slated for Wednesday.
Igbere TV gathered that about 70 per cent of the current Ministers are desperately lobbying to serve in the next cabinet.
Some top government and party sources revealed that some of the Minister seeking to return to the cabinet have abandoned their tasks and are busy chasing after close associates of the President to help them into the anticipated Federal Council.
Another source in the All Progressives Congress, APC, said that Buhari has weighed his options for a new cabinet that will help him deliver on his campaign promises, stressing that he (Buhari) had already compiled a list of such Ministers.
Igbere TV recalls that Buhari had earlier given a hint that he would be reshuffling his cabinet. Politically, state governors are expected to nominate those who should be ministers from their states. Some of criteria considered before submitting such names are party loyalty and competence.
But the political terrain has changed. This time, some powerful politicians have hijacked the party structure from the governors, who are supposed to be the party leader in their states.
Governors Rochas Okorocha, Rotimi Akeredolu and Ibikunle Amosun of Imo, Ondo and Ogun States were said to have been blocked.
Igbere TV gathered that a cabal in aso rock has blocked all moves by the governors to influence those that should be appointed in their states.
A top source said: “Some of these governors still do not understand Buhari’s style. I know three of them whose gestures have been rejected. I can confirm to you that no one knows the content of the list yet. But we have letters already blocked and some rejected on the subject matter.”
Impeccable sources at the presidential villa collaborated the report.
A top source told Igbere TV that, “There is intense lobbying. This is because they have realised that unlike in 2015 when it took about six months for the President to show up with his list of Ministers, he is determined to hit the ground running this time around.
“From all indications, Mr. President is going to set the ball rolling. He is bent on sending his list of Ministers to the Senate almost immediately it is convened in June. They have held talks with the members of the National Working Committee of the APC and other close associates of Mr President.”
Another reliable source disclosed that APC members who lost their Governorship and Senatorial elections are also lobbying to make the cabinet.
It was learnt that some of them will be compensated with Ministerial and other Federal appointments, however.
The source further disclosed that: “Buhari will have an extended cabinet this time around, disclosing that, apart from the mandatory 36 Ministers from each State of the Federation, the President is likely to pick 6 extra Ministers, one from each geopolitical zone, making it 42.”
He added: “Remember the President mooted the idea of an expanded cabinet in 2017, but had to shelve the idea, because of various political interests. But definitely, this time we are going to have an expanded cabinet. This time around, the Power, Works and Housing Ministry under Fashola, will be unbundled into three different Ministries, for efficient service delivery. The Aviation Ministry will be promoted to a full Ministry, and will no longer be under the Ministry of Transportation.”
Another top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “No one knows the mindset of the President, on how he will constitute the next Federal Executive Council. The situation is so dicey that those rated as closer to the President in the cabinet, cannot authoritatively say whether or not they will be retained.”
