There is high anticipation among Nigerians who are planning to become ministers in this dispensation following a letter containing names of ministerial nominees sent by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the Senate.
President Tinubu, on Tuesday, sent the list to the upper chamber of the legislative body, ending weeks of speculations over the issue.
Recall that Dele Alake, the Special Adviser on Special Duties and Media promised Nigerians last month that the president will unveil his ministers within 30 days in office as commander-in-chief in line with the constitution.
Alake said, “I told you in an earlier interview that it didn’t take Asiwaju more than three weeks to form his cabinet as governor. That was as at that time. I think 60 days is even too much. A month, maximum, is enough for any serious government to form its cabinet and put a structure of government in place after the swearing-in.”
“President Tinubu does not want to do anything in breach of the law and that is why he has sent the list to the Senate for consent. It’s now left to the lawmakers to approve the list or not,” another Presidency source who spoke anonymously also said on Wednesday.
Since the news broke yesterday that the list has been submitted to the Senate expectations have been high among Nigerians who have been lobbying powerful leaders in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to ensure that they are nominated by the president.
To ensure that their names are not missing in the list, politicians and technocrats from different sectors of the nation’s economy have also been speaking to top National assembly members who have the ears of the president and the party, according to those monitoring what is going on.
“Since the report came to the public domain on Tuesday, many politicians have stormed Abuja in anticipation that the senate will red the list today. Some among them already know whether their names are in the list due to their closeness to the-power-that-be.”
The president is expected to nominate at least 36 ministers, each from the states across the country in line with the constitution, though the number of ministers can be as much as 42 depending on the plan of the president.
Meanwhile, the magazine learned from competent sources that the list sent to the Senate contained names of some former governors in APC and opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who worked for the emergence of Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.
