After the inauguration of the National Assembly last Tuesday, Nigerians are eagerly awaiting the composition of the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu to accelerate the process of governance.

But the intriguing aspect of the episode is that some of those rumoured to be on Tinubu’s ministerial list were last week appointed by the President as his Special Advisers.

On Thursday, the President released a list of eight Special Advisers.

He had previously secured the approval of 12 Special Advisers from the Senate.

The appointment of the Special Advisers, who are also part of the federal cabinet, is the tip of the iceberg as ministers are senior members of the cabinet and are ranked higher in the hierarchy by virtue of the control they have over Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government.

By law, Tinubu must name his cabinet within 60 days after taking the oath of office on May 29 and transmit it to the Senate for confirmation.

Immediate past President Muhammed Buhari had, in March 2023, signed 16 constitutional bills into law including the one requiring the President to form his cabinet not later than two months of assuming office.

It took Buhari himself six months after taking office for his first term in 2015 to name his ministers and many analysts believed this had a negative effect on governance at that early stage of the administration.

With the Senate inaugurated on Tuesday, analysts said the stage had been set for Tinubu to send his ministerial list to the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly for confirmation, saying that should be done without delay to signal that the President is ready for the huge task of making the difference in the lives of Nigerians who had been impoverished under the last administration.

Multiple sources close to the seat of power at Aso Rock Presidential Villa told Vanguard at the weekend that it was not impossible that the ministerial list was ready to be sent to the Senate for confirmation but added that July may have been fixed as the deadline to compose the cabinet.

Lobbyists for ministerial appointments, according to one of the sources, had set to work immediately after Tinubu emerged in the February 25, 2023 election while many names including those of politicians and technocrats have surfaced in the media as potential nominees.

Among those who have been touted as potential nominees are former Governors Muhammad Badaru (Jigawa), Atiku Badaru (Kebbi), Raji Fashola (Lagos), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna).

Others include former ministers like Festus Keyamo, Isa Pantami and Femi Fani-Kayode.

Kachifu Inuwa, Tanimu Yakubu, Hadiza Bala Usman, Hanatu Musawa, Betty Edu and Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole also find space in the rumoured ministerial list.

Significantly, the Constitution provides for one minister per state, meaning there is room for 36 ministers (minister and minister of state).

There have been a suggestion in some quarters that the cabinet should reflect a government of national unity, that is, the opposition parties should have inputs.

But the suggestion was swiftly rejected by the Tinubu Campaign at that time.

What is certain is that All Progressives Congress (APC) governors will have inputs on those who emerge as nominees in their states while in non-APC states, failed governorship candidates in the 2023 polls and party leaders may decide who gets their ministerial slots.

It was learnt, at the weekend, that APC governors may have been asked to submit three names from each state from which the President would have the prerogative to pick one as minister.

Meanwhile, one intriguing aspect of the reported ministerial nominations is that Tinubu named some of the alleged potential nominees as Special Advisers last Thursday.

They include Mr Dele Alake who was appointed as Special Adviser, Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, and Mr Wale Edun, Special Adviser, Monetary Policies.

Previously both of them had been touted as potential ministerial nominees with Alake allegedly heading to the Information Ministry and Edun to Finance Ministry.

A source said one of the Special Advisers may have actually not wanted the position because he was eyeing a ministerial portfolio and had to be vigorously persuaded to accept the appointment.

According to the source, the ministerial list is a closely guarded secret by the President and only a few people in the inner circle of Tinubu have access to it.

“So if anyone is telling you that he is privy to the list at this point in time he is lying,” the source said.

‘Strangers’

Findings across the states, at the weekend, revealed that there is anxiety over the likely choice of ministers as APC members want only those they described as genuine party members appointed. The mood is that anything short of people in that category may not augur well for APC.

ONDO: ‘ We have been unlucky’

In Ondo State, the absence of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who is presently on medical vacation abroad, has made the entire processes seem shrouded in secrecy by the governor’s inner circle members, especially his kinsmen from Owo.

Vanguard learnt that Tinubu requested three names to be recommended by each governor from their respective states for ministerial position.

Individuals who seem to be close to the President or who know people who are very close to the corridors of power like Ambassador Olusola Iji, APC National Vice Chairman, South West; Hon Isaac Kekemeke, the Director, Humanitarian and Social Directorate of APC, South West in the February election; Chief Alex Ajipe; a former Minister of State for Transportation, Demola Adegoroye; and a former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Victor Olabimtan, are said to be lobbying to get the Ondo ministerial slot.

Speaking on the matter, the Director, Media & Publicity of the party in the state, Steve Otaloro, said:”Ab initio Ondo State has not been so lucky with the junior ministerial positions allotted to it.

“ The people who benefited also do not work assiduously in the overall interest of the state except the immediate past Minister of Transport.

“Previous ministers from the state were disconnected from the party. They do not have the interest of our members and that of the state at heart.

“ We want to change that narrative with the appointment of a member that is well-connected to the aspiration of our party members and has the interest of the state at heart.”

OYO: Makinde’s men want reward

In Oyo State, sources told Sunday Vanguard that Tinubu may have granted Governor Seyi Makinde the opportunity to present his preferred candidates following the role the G-5 Governors to which he belonged played in his emergence.

The ruling party in the state , Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and APC, it was learnt, are presenting candidates for final submission to Mr. President.

However, the opposition APC was said to have met stiff opposition from the governor’s camp.

Party faithful felt that having worked hard for Makinde’s re-election, they should be the major beneficiaries.

“Party officials are strong in their position that they couldn’t have worked for others to reap the fruit of their labour,” a source said.

Reacting, the APC’s spokesperson in the state, Mr. Olawale Sadare, said: “President Bola Tinubu is a leader in the true sense of the word.

“We are very optimistic he would go for core party faithful as his choice for key appointments including the ministerial.”

OGUN: Bankole, Amosun, Gbenga Daniel struggle

It’s still not clear who Governor Dapo Abiodun would eventually nominate from Ogun State.

Party chieftains like former Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who stepped down for Tinubu at the party primary, and a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, are among those said to be interested in ministerial positions.

Also, the camp of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, who fell out with Abiodun during the governorship election, is not left out in the power play for the slot.

Sources said that the state ministerial slot may go to Amosun or anyone in the camp of Gbenga Daniel given his election as senator representing Ogun East.

Speaking, Publicity Secretary of APC in Ogun State, Tunde Oladunjoye, said the matter is a party affair.

Oladunjoye noted that all laid down rules and regulations, in accordance with the Constitution of the country, would be followed when constituting the cabinet.

“It’s a party affair. We are law-abiding. Let’s leave it like that for now. There is a saying that ‘don’t go to town announcing that your wife is pregnant, wait until the delivery time,’” he added.