*Amaechi, Fashola, Lai Mohammed, others retained
*Kachikwu, Dalung, Ngige, others may go
*Akpabio, Ajimobi, Akume coming on board
*Akpabio, Ajimobi, Akume coming on board
In a sharp departure from 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari will be announcing a new cabinet for his second term in office shortly after being sworn in on May 29. The new cabinet is expected to have two presidential candidates, Kingsley Moghalu and Fela Durotoye, among others on board.
Sources told Kristina Reports that the President’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari was already compiling the list of the new cabinet billed to be sent to the National Assembly for confirmation once it is inaugurated in June.
The new federal executive council would see new faces such as Godswill Akpabio, George Akume, Abiola Ajimobi, and Smart Adeyemi, amongst others coming on board.
Our source also revealed that those tipped to be retained include the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Ministers of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, amongst others while those of Sports, Solomon Dalung, Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, Niger Delta, Usani Usani, and Communications, Adebayo Shittu, among others will be exited.
Among the new faces will be those who lost their bid to the National Assembly such as Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, former Governor of Benue State, George Akume, and Senator Smart Adeyemi, among others.
“The names will be sent to the 9th Assembly immediately it is inaugurated in June”, a presidential source said.
Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina had last week hinted that the President may dissolve the cabinet before his May 29 inauguration for a second term.
“In fact, a meeting was held at the weekend in Abuja in respect of this purpose. Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State is also a member of this committee but he couldn’t attend the meeting because he is busy in Kaduna for re-election campaign”.
The source said another meeting “is slated for Wednesday this week. The committee has been given a mandate to get the list ready before the May 29 swearing-in”.
Some “powerful ministers and key strategists of President Buhari”, including a former Foreign Minister during a military regime and a former Military Administrator, are members of this committee.
Our source said: “There are some ministers some Nigerians don’t even know or recognize their names. Of course, they will be dropped. Also, the president has told the committee to make the list all-inclusive. That is why the committee has approached some presidential candidates who challenged President Buhari on February 23.
“I can tell you that Fela Durotoye and Kingsley Moghalu have been approached. The president’s strategists believe Moghalu, given his background, can be in charge of Finance Ministry to assuage South-Easterners and Durotoye has been penciled down to take over in Communications Ministry but the two presidential candidates have not given a positive answer”.
According to him, many politicians, especially from the South-East, are already lobbying the committee to be included in the list. This is because “the presidency is trying to inject fresh blood from the area”.
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