Forces pushing for candidates ahead of Buhari’s cabinet expansion
Forces have commenced machinations to push in their candidates for the proposed expanded cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari, impeccable sources told
Daily Trust. President Buhari had at the NEC meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) last week disclosed his intention to expand his cabinet. Sources at the National Assembly and the Presidency told Daily Trust that names had been submitted for consideration for the expanded cabinet. A senator from the North West said names were submitted before the announcement by the president on the cabinet expansion.
“In fact, I learnt that names of two of our colleagues in the National Assembly have been submitted. One from the senate and the second person is from the house,” the senator said.
An aide of a principal officer in the senate said the name of one of the three senators from Katsina State had been submitted for consideration.
“We were told that the name of Senator Abu Ibrahim, who chairs the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, has been submitted for consideration. I learnt of this before Buhari spoke on the cabinet expansion,” he said.
Aside Abu Ibrahim, it was gathered that the name of Nasiru Baballe Ila, who represents Tarauni Federal Constituency in Kano State, has been submitted. The name of Sabo Nanono, a retired banker, has also been submitted,” he said.
A presidency source told our correspondents that Ila and Nanono’s names were suggested and submitted by some powerful forces for ministerial appointment from Kano State.
A member of the House of Representatives also confirmed to Daily Trust that Ila’s CV had been received at the presidency.
However, the lawmaker said certain vested interests were challenging Ila’s nomination.
Our correspondents report that Ila is one of the only two Kano lawmakers that won election to the house in 2011 under the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) which had Buhari as its leader.
The other lawmaker is Nasiru Ali Ahmed, representing Nasarawa Federal Constituency.
A famous supporter of Buhari in Kano, Alhaji Abdulmajid Danbilki Kwamanda, said he was not comfortable with the development.
“What’s happening in Kano is that they said they would give us an additional ministerial slot, but we think those whose names were submitted or suggested don’t deserve it.
“First, we heard there’s Sabo Nanono, whom if given a ministerial position, can’t represent the interest of the Kano people. He can only represent the interest of certain people, the GRA cabal, who do not know the poor masses and don’t have their interest at heart.
“Also, giving Baballe Ila is like giving Kwankwaso and Buba Galadima, because in the 2015 elections, it was Buba Galadima that appealed to Kwankwaso on his behalf to get a return ticket to the house with a promise to vote Kwankwaso during the presidential primary. And he (Ila) did vote for Kwankwaso during the primary,” he said.