As Monday, May 29 inauguration day of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president draws near, politicians have relocated to Abuja to lobby for appointments in the next dispensation. This is even as the race for Chief of Staff to the President, Secretary to the Government of the Federation as well as who becomes the leader of the 10th National Assembly hots up.
Sources within the All Progressives Congress (APC), who do not want their names in print because they are not authorized to speak on the matter, said that former military leaders Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar, as well as the new President – General of the Pan Igbo socio- cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, are being inundated with calls and visits by politicians, who want to be appointed into the administration of Tinubu. A source said: “Politicians, especially those who lost in the last general elections have relocated to Abuja in order to lobby for appointments into the coming administration. “They cut across party lines. Some persons from other parties who have been critics of Tinubu have toned down their criticisms.
Some members of the APC believe that appointments should not be based on party alone. It should be all encompassing as Tinubu has said that he would go for merit and technocrats anywhere they could be found either at home or abroad.
“Nigerians should not be surprised when they hear of people in LP, PDP, getting some positions. “Due to this, people have been going to IBB and Abdulsalam in Minna as well as Chief Iwuanyawu to put in words for them. “Also, serving governors, whose tenures would lapse on May 29, but lost in their bids to go to the Senate are among the group of the lobbyists.
This, they said, is based on the fact that they are the leaders of their party in their states and they deserve to be compensated having been part of the APC’s presidential success.” On the race for the Chief of Staff to the President, our source said that it includes Governors Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State; Umar Ganduje of Kano State; Femi Gbajabiamila and Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Works and Housing. They are saying that any of them should be the CoS. They agreed that key positions such as the economy, education, Science and Technology and defence, should be manned by technocrats.
“The technocrats are asking Tinubu to give it to Fashola, who had occupied similar position when the President-elect was the Lagos State Governor. They are of the view that he would coordinate well with his previous experience. “Some are routing for Wale Edun, a sound technocrat, whom they argued will be the engine room of the administration, in whose hands the administration would be well managed and well oiled. “They are meeting and making contacts with them. Former Ekiti State Governor, (Kayode) Fayemi is also trying to ensure that he gets something. He is angling to be the Foreign Affairs Minister. All he is doing is to ensure that he remains relevant. “(Dimeji) Bankole too is being penciled down. Ganduje, El-Rufai, for defence or Internal Affairs. Wale Edun will become the CBN Governor or Finance Minister. They are going to be powers behind the throne for their intellectual acuity. El-Rufai, for support for the president and the role he played. On the silence and the absence of the man fondly called Jagaban (The Leader) by his admirers, another source said that the long absence and silence is deliberate. Another source said: “Asiwaju’s handlers want a new him, relaxed and ready for the job. They want him to hit the ground running when he takes over. They do not want a repeat of 2015, when it took almost six months for Buhari to appoint his cabinet. “He is also picking his team. Remember also that a law is in place which stipulates that within some months, the cabinet must be in place. “Board members too have relocated to Abuja where lobbying is going on. It will be intensified from May 1. They are lobbying Remi Tinubu and people very close to Asiwaju. Some even went to Britain to put in a word for them. “Already, some APC Support Groups have asked that they should be remembered to be included in the appointments of Board Members. The Group, which goes by the name, APC Amalgamated Supports Group, speaking through its leader, Dr. Samson Bilesanmi, in Lagos, said: “As we all know that it is not possible to put all of us in your cabinet as ministers, speakers, senior special adviser, special adviser, etc, but His Excellency can engage us in another appointment. “And for this reason, we hereby suggest that having gone through the federal parastatals, such as federal agencies or boards, we found that almost over 1,000 are in operations. “His Excellency can put us into these boards as compensation and we must perform well. A committee should be appointed which shall collate all the national coordinators or president of the supporting groups and submit it to your table through the office of your vice president.” Meanwhile the race for who becomes the Senate President is also on. Sunday Telegraph sources said that Senator Osita Izunaso is working behind the scene to ensure that he nicks it. Sources within the APC said that the National Working Committee (NWC), favours somebody that will not rock the boat; somebody, who does not have Public Relations issues and may not be considered to antgonise the leadership of the party. A source said: “The thinking of the party leaders is that they want somebody who has no PR issues, somebody who is seen as a fresh blood. “The odds are in the favour of Osita Izunaso, even though some Northerners are still kicking that they should be allowed to run for the race. They are appealing to them to back down. They do not want the kind of situation they had during former President Obasanjo’s time. They want somebody young, with legislative experience. Isunazo may be it.”
