Speculations as Soludo visits Aso Rock

Chukwuma Soludo, former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was at Aso Rock on Monday evening, sparking off speculations that he may be in the yet-to-be-named cabinet.

Also, Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Ekiti state, was seen at the villa 30 minutes after Soludo’s arrival.

Soludo was seen signing the visitor’s log on his way to the office of Abba Kyari, chief of staff to the president.

The former Anambra governorship aspirant, dressed in a cream kaftan, was seen entering Kyari’s office amid speculations that he was going to meet President Muhammadu Buhari, although TheCable confirmed that he did not meet with Buhari.

Nobody volunteered information on the purpose of his visit, but the professor of economics is believed to be former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s nominee into the cabinet.

But he recently said he was not interested in serving in government “for now”.

Buhari is currently putting finishing touches to his ministerial list which he is expected to send to the senate for clearance before the end of September.

Soludo was very critical of the management of the economy by former President Goodluck Jonathan, a stance which pitted him against Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who was Jonathan’s finance minister.

He accused Okonjo-Iweala of superintending the waste and mismanagement of over N30 trillion as the co-ordinating minister of the economy, an allegation she denied.

Soludo was chief economic adviser and CBN governor under Obasanjo, but was replaced in 2009 by former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who appointed Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as his replacement.

Soludo was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after its investigation into the polymer note affair.

Meanwhile, Fayemi, who wore in a dark kaftan, also waited along with Soludo at the office of the chief of staff.

He too is expected to be named minister.