Buhari’s UK Visit Puts Ministers, Lobbyists On Edge

Sade AdewaleApril 28, 2019

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Alleged plans by President Mohammadu Buhari to be his own man in the planned ministerial selection list for which it is being speculated as the reason for his travel abroad has further put party strongmen in All Progressives Congress, APC, and other ministers on edge.

Newsflash247 reported that President Buhari had concluded plans to travel abroad with a view to having a private time in which to vet list of ministerial nominees made to him by trusted associates and to consider a performance report on his cabinet members.

According to the newspaper’s finding, the trip abroad became necessary after worries became palpable in the presidency that decisions on the proposed federal appointments after May 29 when the president would begin his second term may upset powerful stakeholders in the ruling APC, Buhari’s support base and other deeply entrenched interest groups who are believed to have begun lobbying the president on the choice of ministers and other federal appointments to be made.

The president intends to work on the final reports and list of potential aides without pressures from any quarters, it was learnt.

However, it was further gathered that the report on most of the serving ministers showed dismal performance, a development that has intensified lobbying from some party chieftains and some of the affected ministers to either retain their positions or adequately compensated.

But the tension arising from intense lobbying and outbreak of political dogfight, according to close associates of the president could stymie plans by the president to clean house in his second tenure.

As part of his campaign promises before the last general election, President Buhari, apparently overwhelmed by clamors to effect changes in his cabinet, promised just that. Backed by comprehensive audit of performance of his ministers and kitchen cabinet at his behest and undertaken by powerful friends of the president, ministers and federal appointees within his inner circle would either be given the boot or retained on the basis of given set criteria.

True to the newspapers analysis on Thursday, Femi Adesina, senior special adviser on media and publicity to the president confirmed the newspaper’s story when he told the public via a tacit news release that the president was due for a private visit to UK and that he is expected to return to Nigeria on May 5, 2019.

As also learnt by Sunday INDEPENDENT, decision by the president to compensate governors like Akinwumi Ambode, denied the ruling party ticket to run for second term in Lagos governorship election and some other aggrieved party members is said to have angered some top party chieftain like Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos.

Disagreement between him and his erstwhile political son, Ambode, is believed to have cost the governor the party ticket much to the chagrin of Buhari in the course of the governorship election in March.

As learnt by the newspaper, Buhari is said to be impressed by the governor’s performance in just four years and may consider the governor for a role in his cabinet.

But Tinubu is said to be unhappy about this because, according to those close to the party chieftain, an inclusion of Ambode in Buhari’s plans for the future will swell the ranks of powerful APC members from South West who are not in agreement with him.

Even more, a growing northern interest group wary of Tinubu’s influence and speculated presidential ambition in 2023 are now firmly in alignment with this group of South West politicians.

Already it was gathered at the weekend that some national leaders of the party may have gone ahead of the president to UK to intensify lobby also for inclusion of some outgoing governors in the new cabinet.