Ministers: Why Buhari Dropped Kachikwu, Ambode

PICKS MAMORA TO PACIFY TINUBU

President Muhammadu Buhari has confirmed the magazine‘s report last month that former minister of state for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu will not make his new cabinet.

President Buhari yesterday forwarded 43 ministerial nominees to the Senate for confirmation.

The president is statutorily bound to nominate at least one minister from each of the 36 states in the country.

It however appears that the president has decided to expand the cabinet this time unlike in his first tenure when he only appointed 36 ministers.

Meanwhile, the biggest upset so far is the name of former governor of Lagos state, Akinwumi Ambode conspicuously missing from the list.

The former helmsman was poised to become minister after he lost his ambition to be re-elected for another four year term, to political rivalry in his party APC.

The magazine has learned from some trusted presidential aides that the former Lagos helmsman was a victim of power struggle in the state.

Ambode lost being governor for a second term over disagreement with his former confidant, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also an ex-governor of the state.

Tinubu is the National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

The nomination of Babatunde Raji Fashola, immediate past minister of Works, Power and Housing and Olorunimbe Mamora has put paid to the quest of Ambode to become minister, watchers of the state politics said.

Mamora, a former speaker of the state house of assembly is the current managing director of National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA.

“The NIWA boss was nominated by Asiwaju Tinubu. This is to show his closeness to the president and power-that-be in APC.

The appointment of Ambode as minister would have upset the apple’s cart in Lagos, now that the two warring political groups in the state led by Tinubu and Fashola have foisted a common front to work together for the benefit of the party.

It’s their resolve to unite that produced Babajide Sanwo-Olu as governor,” the source said.

Some former ministers have luckily staged a comeback.

Among the returnee ministers are Fashola, Chris Ngige, and Rotimi Amaechi.

Others who will also work with president except their nominations are rejected by the Senate are Adamu Adamu and Ogbonaya Onu.

Dr Kachikwu however, was among those “who were edged out due to some political exigencies,” an APC source told the magazine today.

The source had last month reported that some political considerations are against the return of the poet turned oil technocrat to the government for the second time.

Recall also that the president appointed Dr Thomas John as acting Alternate Chairman of the board of state owned oil company, Nigeria National Petroluem Corporation, NNPC.

That position is statutorily reserved for the minster of petroleum.

Various sources who spoke with the magazine at the time said the former minister had lost out in the power struggle with NNPC former GMD Maikanti Baru.

Other sources also disclosed that top presidential aides did not favour the return of the former minister.

In spite of this Dr Kachikwu was very sure of his return as minister representing oil rich Delta state in the cabinet.

But President Buhari has now nominated Festus Keyamo as Delta state representatives in the yet to be constituted cabinet.