HOW BUHARI FAVORED AMEACHI,FASHOLA AND FAYEMI OVER TINUBU AND OSINBANJO'S CANDIDATES FOR MINISTERIAL APPOINTMENT.

The national leadership of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) is in shock over the ministerial list
released last Wednesday by President
Muhammadu Buhari.
Although the list will be revealed on the floor of
the Senate on Tuesday, names of those who
made the cut are already in public domain.
But some party leaders, especially Vice- President
Yemi Osinbajo and former Lagos State Governor,
Senator Bola Tinubu, are upset that the list did
not contain the names of their nominees, New
Telegraph reports.
Rather than pick the choice of ‘Jagaban’, Buhari
selected former Governors Babatunde Fashola
(Lagos) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), estranged
political godsons of Tinubu.
Similarly, Osinbajo could not get human rights
activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), on the list.
Falana, (from Ekiti State), was being tipped to
emerge as the Attorney General of the Federation
and Minister of Justice.
Osinbajo reportedly made a case to the president
more than twice to consider Falana.
Instead, Buhari chose Fayemi, for his hard work
before and after the election.
Fayemi, who may head the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, was the chairman of the APC National
Convention in Lagos and later the Director,
Directorate of Policy and Strategy of the APC
Presidential Campaign Council.
Also, Osinbajo promoted the name of Prof. Pat
Utomi as a ministerial nominee for Delta State.
But the president opted for the Group Managing
Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu.
He is expected to serve as Minister of State for
Petroleum.
A senior party member told New Telegraph that
“Asiwaju was disappointed with the ministerial list
as none of his nominees made the Buhari’s
cabinet. He felt used and dumped.”
“Tinubu invested his resources to prosecute the
Buhari presidential election such that the
president’s wife, Aisha, said the former governor
drafted her to join the campaign train.”
The president, it was gathered, sent copies of the
ministerial list to Tinubu and the APC National
Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
Tinubu, who received the list in company of his
aides and political associates, including former
Interim National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi
Akande, looked through and was so surprised
that he did not utter a word.
“Tinubu just took the list and called Chief Akande
into an inner room in his Abuja residence,” the
source said.
Thereafter, Akande called the president requesting
for an audience. He got an appointment for
11p.m last Wednesday.
At the meeting, Akande asked why the president
rejected Tinubu and South-West leaders’
recommendations for the ministerial list.
Buhari was said to have told Akande that since
Tinubu produced the Vice President, others in
South-West too should have a share of the
appointments meant for the region.
Buhari reportedly hailed the efforts of Fashola and
Fayemi, saying they deserved compensation.
On Fashola, the president said apart from being a
two-term governor, he was chairman of the
presidential fundraising committee and he worked
more for his campaign unlike Yemi Cardoso, a
former Lagos State Commissioner that Tinubu had
proposed.
The president also justified the choice of Adebayo
Shittu as Oyo State ministerial nominee.
He recalled that Shittu had been with him since
his days in the Congress for Progressive Change
(CPC). Shittu was 2007 CPC governorship
candidate in Oyo State.
For Ogun, Buhari explained that he had to defer
to Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle
Amosun, on the state’s nominee, because of their
relationship since the days of the All Nigeria
People’s Party (ANPP).
While Buhari was the ANPP’s presidential
candidate in the 2007 general elections, Amosun
was the gubernatorial candidate of the party in
Ogun State.
Former National Auditor of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode Mustapha,
was the candidate of former President Olusegun
Obasanjo.
However, Buhari agreed to cede the Osun
ministerial slot to Obasanjo’s candidate, Prince
Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a former governor of the
state.
Besides, a group close to the president worked
against Tinubu.
They are Governors Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna) and
Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), and former Rivers
State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
The trio, along with Pastor Tunde Bakare, were
said to have played crucial roles in the choice of
the ministerial list.
They resolved to whittle down the political
influence of Tinubu because of the risk attached
to allowing him have his protégés in many
positions.
Speaking on the ministerial list, National Publicity
Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin,
stated that Tinubu had lost out in the Buhari’s
government.
“When a man thinks he’s too smart, he will
ultimately dribble himself. What has happened to
Tinubu is that those he launched all kinds of war
against have become the victors. He never knew
that the attack he was launching against them
was a way of actually helping those people.
“President Buhari who appointed Fashola, Fayemi
and others doesn’t want people under Tinubu’s
influence in his cabinet. Now, he can’t begin to
claim them after they have been appointed
despite his opposition.”
Former Chairman, Presidential Advisory Council on
National Conference, Senator Femi Okunroumu, in
his reaction said his prediction had come to pass
that Tinubu would be humiliated by Buhari.
“I am having a good laugh. This is what I
expected. In any case, Tinubu is stretching his
luck too far as he wants to dictate who will rule
Nigeria. Tinubu’s wings need to be clipped.”
“With the ministerial list, Tinubu has been
dumped. He should not just be dumped, he
should be disgraced,” Okurounmu said.
On his part, Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo
Adebanjo, said he was not surprised with Buhari’s
approach.
“I’m not disappointed at all. I warned before the
election that Buhari would not change, although
he said he is a converted democrat.
“APC is not a party; it is a gang of people whose
sole aim was to remove Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as
president. In a real party, you share the spoils of
office before elections not after elections. This is
what is happening in APC. We warned our people,
but they failed to listen.”