With less than 4 days to the deadline for submitting the ministerial list, President Tinubu has reportedly encountered delays due to last-minute adjustments being made in the compilation of the list, News About Nigeria reports.
According to multiple sources within the Senate, the upper legislative chamber is yet to receive the final ministerial list from President Tinubu.
While sources at the presidency had previously hinted that the list was ready, it appears that some adjustments caused a setback in its submission.
A source said, “As of Friday, the list is with Baba but I don’t know of yesterday (Saturday). Every minute he is changing some names, up till Friday when he travelled, he still edited some names. But by this week, he will call the Presidential Liaison Officer to the Senate and give him the list.
“It’s this week that he will send the list and Senate will clear the nominees this week.”
Apparently, the opposition against the potential candidacy of Abdullahi Ganduje, former governor of Kano State, as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), may have played a role in the delayed list.
Some party stalwarts have expressed reservations about Ganduje’s suitability for the position, leading to divisions among party leaders.
On the other hand, proponents of former Nasarawa State governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, have pushed for his selection as the APC chairman. A lawmaker from the South-West claimed that “most of the party leaders don’t want Ganduje but a majority of them are rooting for former Nasarawa State governor, Tanko Al-Makura, to take over from Senator Abdullahi Adamu.”
A lawmaker from the South-West, who spoke on the matter, said the president also confirmed that he was yet to send the list of his ministers for screening.
He said, “I learned the Senate President has been given the list and what is delaying it is the addition and subtraction to the list. Anything can happen at the last minute. Another thing causing the delay is the politics and intrigues concerning the possible choice of Dr Umaru Ganduje, as the national chairman of APC.
“Most of the party leaders don’t want Ganduje but a majority of them are rooting for former Nasarawa State governor, Tanko Al-Makura, to take over from Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
“They are also rooting for former Senate spokesman, Senator Ajibola Basiru, as Secretary of the party. Whereas Almakura is from Nasarawa as the ousted Adamu, Basiru is also from Osun State as the ousted Omisore. Most APC leaders are against Ganduje as national chairman given the alleged corruption charges levelled against him. They say it is not good for the image of the party.
“As you know, the Kano State government has brought up the matter and that is why most of the leaders are saying it is not good for the image of the party. They have gone to meet with Asiwaju that they don’t want Ganduje but the buck stops at his table.”
