Complains galore in APC as Buhari delays cabinet expansion, board appointments till 2018
- The much anticipated cabinet expansion and reshuffle by President Muhammadu Buhari has been delayed
- This is because the exercise is no longer be possible this year
- The Nigerian Senate where lists of names are submitted to is winding down for the year today, Thursday, December 21
The much anticipated cabinet expansion and reshuffle by President Muhammadu Buhari has been delayed.
This is because the constitutional body responsible for the confirmation of such appointments - the Senate, is shutting down its activities for the year today, Thursday, December 20.
President Buhari has failed to submit the list of potential appointees to the Nigerian Senate in 2017
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Spokesperson of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Niger) said President Buhari had not transmitted his request on ministerial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
“It (the list) has not been transmitted because it was not read on the floor of the Senate, except if it was brought after we adjourned,” he said.
The delay is likely to cause more disaffection within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as party faithfuls have been grumbling over the president's inability to conduct the exercise in the past few months.
According to the report, 36 states of the federation have submitted 108 names to President Buhari for appointment as ministers and board members.
The development was after Buhari hinted that he would expand his cabinet and make more board appointments to appease aggrieved members of the ruling APC.
The inclusion of state governors and APC leaders in the process followed disbandment of ex- SGF David Babachir Lawan’s committee set up by Buhari over year ago to compile names of prospective appointees.
Following wide-spread disaffection, Buhari later set up another committee chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to review work of the Babachir committee.
President Buhari had during the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the APC in October, disclosed his intention to expand the ministerial appointments from 36 to an undisclosed number.
The president reportedly allocated one more ministerial slot to Kano and Lagos states; as well as one to each of the six geopolitical zones.
Each state reportedly submitted names of three APC members to be appointed as ministers or heads of federal agencies.
Sources in some APC states in the northwest, north central and northeast said Buhari, few weeks ago, directed governors to submit three names each.
Meanwhile, a youth group named Ohandigbo Youths Organisation has revealed its plans to embark on a nationwide rally to convince President Buhari to seek re-election ahead of the 2019 polls.
A statement signed in Abujaby the convener of the group recently, Chief Nduka Anyanwu, said the group believes that President Buhari still holds the answers to some of the challenges confronting the nation.
Chief Nduka, who described himself as a "buharist", said convincing the president to contest is the first bold step the APC party must take.
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Source: Naija.ng