Facts have emerged on the power play
behind allocation of portfolios to ministers
before their inauguration by President
Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday.
Saturday PUNCH reliably gathered on
Friday that before the allocation of
portfolios, the President was faced with
the two options of continuous reliance on
politicians and building his own political
base across the country.
A close associate of the President, who
confided in one of our correspondents,
said that Buhari opted for the latter and
decided to saddle his allies in the All
Progressives Congress with “more tasking
ministries.”
It was learnt that the President in a bid to
build his own political network and
strengthen his base, decided to give more
responsibilities to his allies.
Apart from favouring his long time allies,
Saturday PUNCH learnt that the President
had more or less adopted former
governors Babatunde Fashola and Dr.
Kayode Fayemi as his godsons. It will be
recalled that Buhari, who was not
regarded as an experienced politician,
relied on the support of chieftains,
including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; to emerge
as the APC presidential candidate at the
December 10 presidential primary of the
party in Lagos.
At the primary, Buhari got 3,430 votes;
ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 954
votes; former Kano State Governor, Rabiu
Kwankwaso, 974 votes; Imo State
Governor, Rochas Okorocha, 674 and the
Publisher of Leadership newspaper, Sam
Nda-Isaiah, 10 votes.
It was learnt that as part of the power
play, there was subtle lobby by some
party leaders before the allocation of the
portfolios.
It was gathered that some leaders of the
party had expected that experienced
politicians, who played key roles in
Buhari’s emergence as the APC
presidential primary, would get more
tasking ministries than those given to
them.
Senator Chris Ngige, a strong supporter of
the President at the convention, was
assigned the portfolio of Labour and
Employment.
Also Ogbonnaya Onu, a former Chairman
of the All Nigeria Peoples Party is heading
the Ministry of Science and Technology,
while an ex-Chief of Army Staff, Gen.
Abdulrahman Dambazzau, who headed
the convention’s security committee is
the Minister of Interior.
The Presidency source said that although
it was too early to talk about the
President’s ambition in 2019, it was
normal for Buhari to use his power in
strengthening his network across the
country.
This, the source explained, partly
informed allocation of sensitive portfolios
to those who were with Buhari in the
ANPP and went with him to form the
Congress for Progressive Change.
Fashola is the Minister of Power, Works
and Housing while Fayemi is in charge of
Solid Minerals.
The APC chieftain noted that the duo
were more or less becoming Buhari’s
godsons in spite of campaign against their
appointments, especially Fashola’s, in the
South-West, their zone.
Explaining the influence of Buhari’s allies
from his days in the ANPP and the CPC, a
Presidency source cited the Minister of
Communication, Mr. Adebayo Shittu.
Shittu was the CPC governorship
candidate in Oyo State in 2011. It was
gathered that when CPC merged with
other parties to form the APC, Shittu
joined the new party because of his belief
in Buhari.
Some members of the CPC, who joined
the APC, were said to have left the new
party over alleged marginalisation.
The Presidency source said that Shittu
refused to leave the APC because of
Buhari.
It will be recalled that the Oyo State APC
kicked against the nomination of Shittu on
the grounds that he was not a team
worker, an allegation the minister denied.
It was learnt that not many chieftains of
the party had expected that Shittu would
be made a substantive minister.
It was also gathered that some chieftains
of the party had expected Anthony
Onwuka, a professor of education and
associate of the Imo State Governor,
Chief Rochas Okorocha, would be made a
substantive minister, but the President
opted for Adamu Adamu.
Besides being an associate of the
President, Adamu was said to have
worked closely with Buhari in the defunct
Petroleum Trust Fund.
The Presidency source, who confided in
Saturday PUNCH, said, “You will see that
the President is gradually building his own
political network. It is a matter of giving
great responsiblities to your long time
allies.”
A chieftain of the party in the South-
West, who further threw light on the
allocation of the portfolios, said the
President had clearly shown that he was
appreciative of the support he got in the
zone in the 2015 elections.
He noted that Buhari was building his own
political base in the zone. Such influence
will be independent of party chieftains in
the zone.
He said, “The appointments of Fashola
and Fayemi fall into this category. They
are also part of the efforts of the
President to show appreciation to the
South-West.
“He also believes that if any of these
appointees performs creditably, Buhari
will not need anybody to campaign for
him or any candidate he supports in
2019.”
It was learnt that the Ogun State
Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s
closeness to Buhari was instrumental to
the emergence of Mrs. Kemi Adeosun as
finance minister.
In 2007, Amosun was in the ANPP just as
Buhari. It was gathered that at a point in
2011, he wanted to defect to the CPC.
The APC chieftain, who expressed concern
about the crisis in the party, said that
three power blocks had emerged in the
party.
He said besides the emerging Buhari
block, Tinubu and Saraki/Atiku camps had
existed in the party.
Atiku was reported to have supported
Senator Bukola Saraki to emerge as the
Senate President against Senator Ahmad
Lawan, the preferred candidate of other
APC chieftains, including Tinubu.
But contrary to the claim that he was not
comfortable with Buhari’s ministerial list,
Tinubu on Thursday said the cabinet
would perform.
People entitled to their opinions –
Presidential aide
When contacted, the Senior Special
Assistant to the President on Media and
Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said
people were entitled to their opinions.
He said, “Everyone is entitled to his
opinion and I cannot stop people from
holding theirs.”
Party chieftains laud Buhari
Commenting on the appointments, an
APC leader in Ogun State, Mr. Tunde
Oladunjoye said that they showed
Buhari’s commitment to putting “right
pegs in the right holes.” He lauded
Ngige’s appointment as the Minister of
Labour and Employment.
“Senator Chris Ngige is the right man to
provide much needed employment for
hundreds of thousands of jobless
Nigerians in all parts of the country,
especially in the eastern part where there
have been protests by youths in the
recent weeks,” he said.
Commenting on the issue, a chieftain of
the APC, Rotimi Fashakin, disagreed with
postulations that the President’s choice of
ministers was influenced by anything
other than a desire to deliver on his
campaign promises.
He argued that the President’s list of
appointees was simply a confirmation of
his patriotic credentials because he has
over the years, shown himself as one
President who considers the entire nation
as his constituency.
Fashakin said, “The South West supported
the President largely because of his
persona as a patriot. You can now say
Nigeria has a patriot as the President.
“The responsibility given to Fashola and
all the other ministers was not influenced
by any consideration of strengthening his
power base. The entire nation has
become his constituency.”
Attempts to get a reaction from the
National Chairman and Secretary of the
APC, Chief John Oyegun and Mai Bala
Buni respectively were unsuccessful.
Repeated calls to their mobile telephones
indicated that they were switched off.
A response to separate text messages to
them was still being awaited as of the
time of filing this report 9:45pm.
