2027: Tinubu Mulls Cabinet Reshuffle, To Prioritise Regional, Religious Balance

By Aina Akinjide, Abuja Bureau Chief

Ahead the 2027 presidential election, President Bola Tinubu is considering a far- reaching reshuffling of his cabinet. Except there is a last minute change of heart, the first quarter of 2026 will see several Ministers and top functionaries of the Tinubu administration either reassigned or outrightly sacked, the magazine has been informed.

The President, this magazine learnt, will be prioritising regional and religious balance in the next cabinet aimed at widening and strengthening the frontiers of his political support base ahead the 2027 presidential election.

“The President is not leaving anything to chance. Despite his party the, the All Progressives Congress, APC’s seeming dominance of the political space, he is mindful of the fact that in politics an 11th hour shift can make or mar a politician eyeing an elective position.He is conccious of the need for political inclusivity as the 2027 presidential election draws near”, a presidential villa source privy to the discussions around the coming cabinet reshuffle told the magazine.

It was gathered that President Tinubu will likely address the dominance of his Southwest region during the cabinet reshuffle. Recall that the Tinubu has faced blistering criticisms over the preponderance of the Southwest appointees  in his government, many of who occupy juicy ministries and parastatals. For, example, constitutionally, each state produces a Minister in the federal cabinet which translates to six Ministers each for Southwest, South South, Northwest, Northcentral and five Ministers for Southeast and Seven for Northeast but Ogun state alone produced four Ministers in the current cabinet.

An impeccable source told this magazine that President Tinubu will he placating the Southeast with at least three juicy substantive ministerial positions in the next cabinet. Apart from Works Minister, Senator Dave Umahi and the former Minister for Technology, Uche Nnaji who resigned in October amidst allegation of certificate forgery, the rest of Southeast Ministers are Ministers of State, an euphemism for Juinor Ministers.

And for religious balance, President Tinubu is also said to be poised to correct what some elements in the North see as “Christianization” of his government. “And even at that, the religious balancing will also affect some muslim Ministers. For example, the Defence Ministry is currently manned by two Northerners-General Christopher Musa ( Christian)  and ex Zamfara Governor, Bello Matawalle ( Muslim), so for religious and ethnic balancing, Matawalle, already embroiled in bandit romance allegations, will be relieved of his position and replaced with a Southern Muslim”, the source revealed.

Another Minister that will likely be reassigned to another Ministry, The Source Magazine gathered, is the FCT Minister and immediate past Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Wike. “Mr. President is tired of the controversies around Wike and his larger than life image in his government, the President is seriously considering resigning him to a less visible, powerful Ministry to curtail what his ( President)  inner circle consider toxic excesses detrimental to the administration.