MATTERS ARISING: Buhari yet to replace ministers who resigned — despite promising ‘speed’

During a valedictory session held on May 13 for outgoing ministers seeking elective positions, President Muhammadu Buhari announced that he will promptly replace them.

A few days before the session, Buhari had asked all members of his cabinet seeking elective positions to step down from office.

The president’s directive came in the wake of intense calls for the resignation of political appointees nursing 2023 ambitions.

The demand for their resignation was partly fuelled by concerns about their ability to effectively run their ministries while actively campaigning for votes.

Another reason behind the clamour for their withdrawal from office was the provision of section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022.

Section 84(12) of the act reads: “No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.” The appeal court has since declared the section unconstitutional but the case has been moved to the supreme court for a final decision.

SOME MINISTERS MADE A U-TURN

At the time of the valedictory session, the cabinet members affected were Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation; Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation; Godswill Akpabio, minister of Niger Delta affairs, Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum, and Pauline Tallen, minister of women affairs and social development.

Others were Chris Ngige, minister of labour; Uche Ogah, minister of mines and steel development; Ogbonnaya Onu, minister of science and technology; Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, minister of state for education, and Tayo Alasoadura, minister for state for Niger Delta affairs.

Subsequently, some of the ministers made a volte-face by dropping their political ambitions to retain their ministerial positions.

The ministers in this category are Malami, Pauline, Ngige, and Sylva — but the likes of Akpabio, Amaechi, Ogah, Nwajiuba, Alasoadura and Onu forged ahead with their ambitions.

While Akpabio, Onu, Nwajiuba, and Amaechi resigned to contest the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ogah contested the Abia APC governorship primary and Alasoadura contested the APC senatorial primary for Ondo central.

Ameachi, Onu, and Nwajiuba lost the presidential primary to Bola Tinubu while Alasoadura lost the APC senatorial primary and Ogar won the factional Abia APC governorship primary.

SIX MINISTERIAL POSITIONS VACANT

Despite Buhari’s assurance that he will replace the outgoing ministers “without delay”, one month later, six ministries are currently without ministers and political parties have since concluded their primaries.

The six vacant positions are minister of state for education, minister of transportation, minister of Niger Delta affairs, minister of state for Niger Delta affairs, and ministers of mines and steel development, and science and technology.