ABUJA: Ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s anticipated cabinet shuffle, a number of ministers and their political mentors are stepping up their efforts to hold on their positions.
President Tinubu will very soon reshuffle his cabinet, according to a statement released by the Presidency on Wednesday. This confirms Sunday PUNCH’s September 1 story that a cabinet shakeup was forthcoming.
This arose when advisers to the president admitted to The PUNCH that certain religious leaders had been frantically trying to gain favor with the president.In fact, that is a common occurrence. In an attempt to persuade the President, a few ministers will be calling their godfathers.
That is typical behavior. But the President will still do what is on his mind for the country,” one of the aides said.
In fact, that is a usual phenomenon. In an effort to persuade the President, a few ministers will be calling their godfathers. That is typical behavior. However, the President will still take action for the good of the entire country, an adviser stated.
According to information, some ministers have stepped up their lobbying to ask for a soft landing from the President’s supporters and associates, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff, and others, out of fear of losing their positions in the federal cabinet
According to a another senior official, the Chief of Staff had voiced concerns about the ferocious pressure and lobbying directed at Tinubu by individuals looking for guarantees on the positions of their protégés in the Federal Executive Council.
The insider claimed, “The President has been under tremendous pressure from political godfathers and ministers who are worried that they may be removed from the cabinet ever since rumors began to circulate that he would soon restructure his cabinet.
After concluding the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit in China two weeks ago, the CoS was forced to advise the President to take some days off in the United Kingdom due to the intense pressure.”Note that Nigerians were unaware of Tinubu’s location for a few days. Despite the internet release of photographs taken during his meeting with King Charles,
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital/New Media, O’Tega Ogra, explained that the cabinet shake-up would be based on the empirical evidence from performance reports the President had received in the past months.
Read related news: President Tinubu To Reshuffle Cabinet- Presidency
He said, “Let me tell you, I don’t have any timeline. The President has expressed his desire to reshuffle his cabinet, and he will do it.
I don’t know whether he’s going to do it before October 1, but he will surely do it. So, that’s what I will say. He has not given us any timeline when he wants to do it, but he will do it. He has expressed his plan that he wants to do it.”
Tinubu has been facing increasing pressure from within and outside his party, the All Progressives Congress, to sack underperforming ministers in his cabinet.
There are strong indications that the President may scrap the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation as part of the cabinet rejig.
Another Presidency source said that the exercise would also see some portfolios split and others merged into a single entity, while some ministers would be relieved of their duties.
