President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would make his ministerial appointments within 60 days from the day he was sworn in on May 29. Unlike former President Muhammadu Buhari who dilly-dallied for over six months before he could form his cabinet in his first term, the extant constitutional provision does not grant President Tinubu such latitude. It is also constitutional that each state and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, must have at least one minister.
Politicians have been making frenzied movements to the Presidential Villa to lobby for these ministerial slots. There’s nothing wrong in lobbying for appointments. However, merit should be the primary criterion in the consideration of the president for those he would appoint as ministers.
In the case of Rivers state, a non All Progressives Congress (APC) state, is likely to get one minister. Tinubu may have won Rivers state during the presidential election, but if he didn’t emerge as APC presidential candidate, people like the immediate past governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, who are now claiming to have enabled his victory in Rivers state during wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do so.
Senator Magnus Ngei Abe has been a Tinubu loyalist for long. He played a prominent role in delivering a sizeable chunk of delegates votes from Rivers state and even the South-south zone during the APC presidential primary despite the fact that former minister of transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, from Rivers state, contested against Tinubu.
Wike’s recurring claims to be the face of Tinubu’s victory in Rivers state is opportunistic. Without Rivers state’s about 214,000 votes as recorded by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tinubu would have still been declared the winner of the presidential election having scored the majority votes and 25 per cent in 29 states of the federation. Rivers state only made it to 30 states where he got 25 per cent. The constitutional requirement is 25 per cent in 24 states of the federation and the FCT.
Wike should not displace Senator Abe for the ministerial slot. He has been in the corridors of power since 1999 as a local council chairman, chief of staff to a governor, minister and governor for eight solid years. Cumulatively, he has been in the corridors of power for 24 years. He must not always be in either elective or appointive position.
Even Tinubu himself had been out of power since 2007 when he left office as the governor of Lagos state before he was elected as oresident in 2023, which means Tinubu was out of any elective or appointive position for 16 years before he got elected as the president of Nigeria this year. Wike should emulate Tinubu and give others a chance to serve Nigeria. He must not always hijack every position to himself. He should take a break from elective or appointive positions at least for the next four years. He can play an advisory role to Mr President.
Abe led the troops for Tinubu in Rivers state during the presidential primary election. He deserves to take the ministerial slot of Rivers state. He has the capacity, experience and political sagacity to fill the Rivers slot. Having been a state legislator, commissioner, secretary to the state government and a two-time senator, Magnus Abe has all it takes to be the new face of Tinubu in Rivers state. If Amaechi or former Vice president Yemi Osinbajo had defeated Tinubu during the primaries, those now claiming to love Tinubu, would be nowhere near him today. Alternatively, Tinubu can give Wike an ambassadorial appointment of grade A level. He should be far away from the state for peace to reign.
Ifeanyi Maduako,
Owerri, Imo state