Muhammadu Buhari may have sidetracked some state political godfathers in making ministerial picks, but he has governors and governors-elect to contend with, alongside pressure groups.
A source in the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the president-elect is trying to avert the controversy trailing the choice of cabinet hopefuls and has directed APC governors to send in three nominees each from their states.
Directive to governors
He reportedly gave the directive during a meeting with the governors in Abuja after he was inundated with names from state political godfathers, which left him confused.
It was said that since the APC is still grappling with the knotty issue of the National Assembly (NASS) leadership, Buhari decided that he would not allow the ministerial issue to overwhelm him to the extent that godfathers may dictate to him who to pick.
Qualifications
Buhari does not want to deviate from the policy of the APC and the constitutional provision on the appointment of ministers.
He told the governors to shop for technocrats who are vast in the party’s policies and programmes and have contributed to its success at state and national levels.
Putting agitation to rest
The directive may have put to rest the agitation of state party leaders in the choice of ministers.
An APC leader in Ogun State, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told TheNiche that the directive would eliminate a one-man show as governors would have to consult widely with party leaders and members before choosing the names to be sent to Buhari.
Buhari himself would not unilaterally make the final selection as the names would be deliberated upon by APC national leaders, National Executive Council (NEC), and Board of Trustees (BoT), after which an internal panel would screen the candidates before approval by the NEC and transmission to the Senate.
Potential minefield
However, political observers believe the APC may be heading for conflict in some states where party leaders may want to dictate to governors who to present, particularly in states without APC governors or governors-elect.
They cite Ekiti, Ondo, and South South states except Edo; and South East states except Imo.
There could be a clash of interests between APC governorship candidates and state and national leaders.
In the South West, there is speculation that the likes of APC leader, Bola Tinubu, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who have requested ministerial slots, may want to dictate names to governors.
It is said that Tinubu may not want Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, and former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, to get ministerial appointments.
Other interests
Ekiti State APC Director of Publicity and Strategy, Kunle Oyatomi, said governors would need to work with state party leaders and stakeholders to draw up the list.
He argued that other interest groups also desire to be factored into the equation since everyone can read the lips of Buhari, who wants credible people to work with him to bring the country out of the doldrums.
In each state, Oyatomi stressed, there are thousands of people who are qualified to be ministers “but all of us cannot be there, and what will happen is that the best would be picked for the country.”