Cabinet reshuffle imminent as Buhari promises new ministers

…Says he’ll appoint more APC supporters with fresh ideas
…As APC Governors endorse President for 2019

Tom Okpe
In what can be regarded as anti-climax of much awaited rejig of his cabinet, President Muhammadu Buhari has said that a major shake-up in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) is imminent with a view to inject more party acolytes in running his government.

The President disclosed this on Tuesday in a speech he delivered at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja.

But the speech was not read to the journalists covering the event as they were excused out of the hall by the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie- Oyegun, before the President could address the meeting.

There was neither an opening remark from Odigie-Oyegun before asking journalists to leave the meeting hall. But in the speech made available to journalists, Buhari hinted of imminent cabinet shakeup.

He said, “On the other hand, I am keenly aware that our supporters are very eager for these appointments to be announced. By the Grace of God these appointments will be announced soon. Especially now that the economy is improving, we will have the resources to cater for the appointees. “By the same token, the compressed Federal Executive Council will be expanded to bring in more supporters at Federal Level, with fresh ideas to be injected into the government”.

At the Tuesday’s APC NEC meeting, about 21 governors, members of National Assembly led by Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, state chairmen and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) were in attendance at the meeting which is the third since the party came to power in 2015.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who was expected at the meeting was absent, but sources close to him said he was out of the country. Those in attendance include State Governors: Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Jibrilla Bindo (Adamawa), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara) and Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna). Others are Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa), Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger), Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto), Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina), and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo).

The senators present at the meeting included Saraki, Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, Senate Minority Whip, Francis Alimikhena, Senators Abdullahi Adamu, Binta Garba, Andy Ubah, Magnus Abbe, Dino Melaye, Ahmed Sani Yerima, Gbenga Ashafa and Barnabas Gemade. From the House of Representatives came Dogara, Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun, House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Majority Whip, Ado Dogowa among others.

Pioneer National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello and Special Adviser to the Vice President on Political Matter, Babafemi Ojodu, were also in attendance.

The President lamented the delay in reconstituting boards of Federal Parastatals despite his promise to do so, pointing out that the delay was as a result of an attempt to get the balance right and make sure all parts of the country are equitably represented.

The President also said he was aware supporters of the party are very eager for these appointments to be announced, and therefore promised that “by the Grace of God, these appointments will be announced soon. He further said, “Let me on a personal note thank you all for your prayers and good wishes, which the Almighty Allah answered in the restoration of my health. I wish to thank you all party leaders for helping to keep the government running smoothly during my prolonged absence.

“I would like to start by commending our party leadership chaired by His Excellency, Chief John Oyegun; the Chairman whom I worked with harmoniously in 1984-85 in a previous government. Happily, circumstances have brought us again to positions of leadership in the country.

“I want to thank Chief Oyegun and his staff for steering the party in the last two and a half years. Sometimes it is easier to manage failure than to manage success and a big success such as that we have achieved. “I must also commend the leadership of the National Assembly led by Senate President, His Excellency, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Rt. Hon. Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara. I must place on record the cooperation and understanding of the National Assembly including some non-APC members who rose above petty party interests and acted in the national interest. “My deep thanks also go to our State Governors who faced stiff challenges, especially their determination to maintain unity and tolerance among our communities.

This is in the face of unnecessary politically motivated strife and violence. Credit should go to APC Governors for extending their hand of fellowship to their colleagues from other parties. “In my remarks to the caucus meeting yesterday (Monday), I enumerated the progress that our government has made in the implementation of the programmes of government and the party manifesto.

Speaking on the achievements of the APC-led Federal Government, Buhari said, “We can be proud of our achievements in the last two years, Boko Haram, Niger Delta, Regular Fuel, Improved Power, TSA, Agriculture and Fertilizer, above all, the knowledge that corruption will not be tolerated in this Government.

We all know there is change. “Nigeria’s prestige has gone up; Nigeria is now credit worthy, a clear testimony of which was the over-subscription of the Euro-Bond by 4 times. Nevertheless, we are not resting on our achievements. I am quite aware of the challenges before us.

On non-composition of boards, the President said, “Last year, I said we would re-constitute the Boards of Parastatals. I must regret the fact that we have not done so, for many reasons. “Some of us in this meeting may know I had given instructions since October 2015 for this exercise to start. But there have been inordinate delays through several Committees in an attempt to get the balance right and to make sure all parts of the country are equitably represented.

“Let me thank you all again for the commitment and dedicated service to our party and to remind you that much more will be required of you in the coming months. I hope we can continue to depend on you. If we keep united and rise above petty or personal quarrels, we will surely achieve the desired change in the country”.

Meanwhile, governors of the ruling APC otherwise known as Progressive Governors Forum, have kickstarted the race for next general elections as they endorsed Buhari to seek reelection for second term in 2019.

The APC governors also announced that the issue of automatic ticket for President Buhari to seek re-election is not negotiable, saying that no other contestants are credible to carry the party’s ticket. According to the APC governors, President Buhari’s integrity, coupled with his performance since 2015 remains unbeatable, thereby calling for his second tenure in office.

Speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday at the APC national secretariat before the commencement of the party’s NEC meeting, Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong revealed that all the governors under the aegis of the ‘Progressives’ have agreed to work for the President’s re-election.

He said, “Concerning the issue of sole ticket for Mr. President, I want to say that if President Buhari is performing, well respected and carrying everybody along, we have all resolved to work for him. “Do we have any other person that will challenge the President again? Whatever you call it, as far as we are concerned, we have one President and that is the ticket we will fly.”

He also assured that the party will henceforth remain united, saying that, “I want to assure you that you won’t see a wrangling party after the meeting. From now onwards, it will be focused governance from Mr. President and all the governors from the states.

We have all resolved to support Mr. President”. Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu, who was also asked to comment on whether the governors have resolved on automatic ticket for the President said, “The performance of the President in the last two and half years suggest that if he wants to contest, l will certainly support him and l know that our party members feel the same about him”.

Also speaking, Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura, said: “For anybody to preempt the consensus opinion of the people is to say the least and that is not fair to the vision of our party.

I can tell you, if there is anything that is clandestine, the President will not honour it, so let us wait and see as we embark on these meetings. “I believe the consensus and the preponderance of opinion of all party members will be what is good for this country, and we have already known the will of this country, the future of this country as we are now as a country is associated with one person, who is impeccable, who has the greatest amount of integrity that you can find in any human being around, so your guess is as good as mine”.

Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, who has been rumoured to be nursing a presidential ambition, also said he can only drop his ambition because of re-election of President Buhari. “If Mr. President wants to run for election, he will follow all the processes and if he is the person, we will all support him.

In APC, there is no imposition of candidate “If Buhari is running, I will allow him to continue but if he is not running, I won’t sacrifice my Presidential ambition to anyone else. Mr. President is showing the right leadership and taking the very right steps and there is reconciliation going on even with nobody talking about it. There is the spirit of reconciliation and people understand their role.

“Our role is to make this party great and we are all are trying to do that, input our own form but importantly, the governors have remained the pivot upon which this wheels of change has rotated so far. We have kept this party working and after this meeting, our congresses and convention will commence in the early part of next year and all party organs will be strengthened. We are in good mood and high spirit”, Okorocha added.