As the deadline for submitting ministerial nominees to the Senate approaches, President Bola Tinubu has yet to fulfill this constitutional requirement, which is expected to be done within 60 days of taking office. The president was sworn in on May 29, following the handover of leadership from former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Though the final list of ministerial nominees is reportedly ready, some last-minute adjustments have been made. Four names initially put forward have been replaced with new names. However, delays in submitting the list have also been attributed to opposition against Abdullahi Ganduje’s candidacy as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
President Tinubu was considering Ganduje for a ministerial position, but Senator Abdullahi Adamu’s resignation prompted him to consider Ganduje as a possible replacement for the former chairman, given their shared North-Western background. However, this choice has created tensions within the APC.
Some APC members are advocating for former Nasarawa State governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, to replace Adamu instead of Ganduje. They view Al-Makura as more “cool-headed” and less controversial. Al-Makura was an aspirant for the position during the last APC convention, but he withdrew from the race under the persuasion of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The controversy over the APC chairman’s choice has reportedly contributed to the delay in submitting the ministerial list to the Senate. The president is still reviewing and editing the list, with plans to finalize it this week.
As of now, the Senate is yet to receive the final list. The delay has led to speculations and discussions about the possible nominees and the ongoing internal dynamics within the APC. The deadline is approaching, and all eyes are on President Tinubu to see how this situation unfolds in the coming days.
