Having assumed office on May 29th, President Bola Tinubu is expected to nominate several aides who will serve as ministers and help him run the administration.
As presumed earlier, several of the nominees will include past Governors, Chairmen, party leaders, ambassadors (either serving or retired), retired government officials and among others.
However, as the ministerial list was passed to the Senate for clarification in the early hours of Thursday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his members are expected to approve the list. Some notable personalities include the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State Nasir El-Rufa’i and former Rivers State Governor Nyesome Wike. Although, there was a question about the latter’s chance of making it.
Even though the list has taken time, it’s never late for the President to present it as stipulated in the 1999 constitution as amended.
Section 42 of the constitution states that “(a) the nomination of any person to the office of a Minister for confirmation by the Senate shall be done within sixty days after the date the President has taken the oath of office;
(b) not less than ten per cent of persons appointed as Ministers shall be women:
Provided that the President may appoint a Minister at any other time during his tenure and such appointment shall be subject to confirmation by the Senate.”
The constitution also noted that the President should make one minister from each of the 36 States of the federation.
Accordingly, the President has the grace of two days before the deadline stipulated in the constitution.
Commenting on the purported ministerial list, the aide to the Senate President Jackson Udom said the genuine list is yet to be out.
Mr Udom urged Nigerians to exercise patience and stop spreading the fake list.
Apart from the two former governors, some notable personalities including Olawale Edun, who is a popular economist, a former Deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Adebayo Adelabu, the women leader of the All Progressives Congress, Betta Edu, former Minister of Health under Goodluck Jonathan who recently rejected an international job, Ali Pate, all made the list.
First batch of Ministerial nominees unveils:
Abubakar Momoh
Yusuf Maitama Tuggar
Ahmad Dangiwa
Hannatu Musawa
Uche Nnaji
Betta Edu
Dr Diris Anite Uzoka
David Umahi
Ezenwo Nyesom Wike
Muhammed Badaru Abubakar
Nasir El Rufai
Ekerikpe Ekpo
Nkiru Onyejiocha
Olubunmi Ojo
Stella Okotete
Uju Kennedy Ohaneye
Bello Muhammad Goronyo
Dele Alake
Lateef Fagbemi
Mohammad Idris
Olawale Edun
Waheed Adebanwp
Iman Suleman Ibrahim
Prof Ali Pate
Prof Joseph Usev
Abubakar Kyari
John Enoh
Sani Abubakar Danladi
If the list is approved and confirmed, the President as well as his ministers are expected to reshape Nigeria and as well make a vibrant democracy in the country.