Fashola, Amaechi, Onu, Mohammed, to retain cabinet seats

By ADEBAYO OBAJEMU

There were strong indications last night that between 12 and 15 ex-ministers will join President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet.It was learnt that the ex-ministers’ names are on the list which was reportedly submitted to Senate President Ahmed Lawan on Wednesday.

But there was still a pall of uncertainty on the size of the cabinet.

The President has the constitutional right to have a 36-man or a 42-man cabinet.

The President is said to have decided to retain some of the ex-ministers on merit.

Those speculated to be on the list last night are ex-Ministers of Justice and AGF Abubakar Malami ( SAN); Adamu Adamu( Education); Hadi Sirika ( Aviation); Zainab Ahmed (Finance); Aisha Abubakar (Women Affairs); Lai Mohammed ( Information); Babatunde Fashola (Works, Power and Housing); Rotimi Amaechi (Transportation); Mohammed Musa Bello( FCT); Suleiman Adamu Kazaure (Water Resources); Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu (Science & Technology); Solomon Dalung (Sports & Youths Development) and others.

Although Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, former governors Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Niyi Adebayo (Ekiti) and Akinwumi Ambode (Lagos) were also being speculated last night to have made the list, none of our sources could confirm such speculations.

The sources confirmed that some ex-ministers, such as Adebayo Shittu (Communications) and Okechukwu Enelamah (Trade and Industry) lost the battle to return to the cabinet.

A government source said: “I know that the two women ex-ministers are returning to the cabinet. We have a few others who have really added value that the President will be retaining.

“It is not a total overhaul, which you are anticipating. What the President promised was to leave sustainable legacies in his second term.”