Fresh facts have emerged on how President Bola Tinubu chose ministerial nominees from each state of the federation.
Recall that after nearly two months in office, Tinubu first sent a list of 28 nominees to the Senate while he sent another batch of 19 nominees for screening and confirmation by the upper chamber of the National Assembly. The third list had only one name.
“While some Nigerians expressed delight at the nominations, others were disappointed.
The nominations especially did not go down well with many All Progressives Congress, APC, members who felt betrayed that they didn’t make the lists despite their contributions to his electoral victory. But Sunday Vanguard was reliably informed that while Tinubu may have gone to Abuja with what was described as a “Lagos template, he might not have reckoned that Nigeria is not Lagos.”
Besides, multiple sources disclosed that “he had to consider some former governors, especially those from the North, who contributed significantly to his electoral victory.”
One of the sources in particular said: “If you look at the first list well, you will discover that many of those on the list are former members of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, who have been with him ( Tinubu) for years if not decades It was okay back time.”
“The President could not ignore the likes of former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai; former Zamfara State governor, Bello Matawalle;, and Nyesom Wike, former governor of Rivers State, who worked for him and delivered their states for Tinubu.” Another source stated that if the President had dropped el-Rufai or Wike, “they may make trouble, that is why he needed to bring them in.”