Buhari Plans To Do Justice To Ministerial List Alone

General Muhammadu Buhari’s victory at the polls may have proceeded well for governors under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but following a show-down with the president-elect on Sunday, things are beginning to head south.

 

Muhammadu Buhari with some APC governors and ex-governors, Governor Rochas Okorocha, Chris Ngige and more

The President-elect on Sunday expressed his intent to do justice to the ministerial list at the expense of the APC governors’ demands as he stated unequivocally that experienced technocrats and individuals of unsullied character would form his cabinet.

 

Buhari, who spoke at a meeting with northern leaders in Abuja on Sunday, noted that Nigerians eagerness to have a taste of good governance will be the driving force for his administration to hit the ground running once he took over the reins of power on May 29.

In a report made available by Daily Post, it is believed that the General’s unequivocal stance on the Ministerial list caused disquiet in the APC, especially among governors at the meeting held on Sunday.

 

 From 1999 till date, it’s been the custom of the outgoing party, the Peoples Democratic Party to call for names for ministerial appointment from governors.

It is believed that the governors are allowed to put in good words for their most preferred nominee which in most cases see such persons making the list of ministerial nominees sent to the Senate for approval.

 

From the three names, the sitting president picks his favourite while the two remaining names get compensated with either an ambassadorial position or appointed as board chairman or member.

However, with the shocker General Buhari pulled on the APC governors on Sunday, we may well enough have just kissed goodbye to this long-lasting tradition.

 

At the meeting held on Sunday, the governors requested to leave their list of possible ministers with Buhari, but their request was rebuffed by the president-elect who reminded them that the Constitution does not compel him to take a list of ministerial nominees from them.

 

Buhari was quoted saying, “I do not think we can discuss that issue of Ministerial list. The Constitution clearly does not mandate me to take a list from the governors. To me, the governors should concentrate on getting good hands to help them in discharging their duties in the states.”

Another indication that Buhari, APC Governors’ alliance looks to be heading south, came to light when the president-elect also refused to accept the request for a bailout for the states that have been unable to pay their workers salaries, with a source saying Buhari rejected the proposal. He told them that he was aware the federal government did not owe the states their allocations.

 

It has been gathered that the governors are now brainstorming on how best to push their candidates through.

 

This however isn’t going to stop the president-elect from embarking on his mission to give Nigerians a taste of good governance as it has been reported that he has formed a search party to get him names of good hands in states where he needs adequate consultations.

Buhari would, however, consider submitted names of persons with proven track record and with no established case(s) of corruption.

He is expected to send his cabinet list some days after inauguration of the 8th Senate next month.

Among those who visited Buhari were the Kwara state governor, AbdulFatah Ahmed, the Osun state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, his Borno State counterpart, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, the Kaduna state governor-elect, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the Sokoto state governor-elect and the current Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, the Nassarawa state governor, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura and the Kano state governor-elect, Alhaji Usman Ganduje.

Meanwhile, the president-elect popularity continues to soar as he was recently spotted taking a road drive on a shuttle bus at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja.