presidential poll, intensive internal campaigning has started over the
formation of the cabinet of the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari.
Though some candidates have been marked down for definite offices, the
selection of those to fill the sought-after "juicy" positions may not
be an easy task, as powerful party members and others who gave Buhari
support from outside the APC are pushing their own nominees.
According to Daily Post, the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, may have been offered the
Ministry of Finance in the Buhari government by the ex-president
Olusegun Obasanjo.
Soludo was a member of the economic team for the Obasanjo government
prior to becoming the governor of the CBN.
Many APC leaders are said to be against him. One of the reasons is
that Soludo remains a card-carrying member of the All Progressive
Grand Alliance.
The other is that it was under Soludo that the banking sector almost
collapsed, a situation confirmed by the former CBN chief and Emir of
Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, a loyal supporter of the APC.
The former Lagos state governor, Bola Tinubu, is considered also to be
strongly against Obasanjo's recommendation.
Sources say he had in fact agreed a contract with Buhari prior to the
APC presidential primaries regarding appointments to ministerial
positions.
Tinubu is said to have drafted an agreement with Buhari, to which the
president-elect added his signature.
According to the accord, the former Lagos governor will name nine ministers.
Some of the positions are said to comprise Petroleum, Finance, Works,
Federal Capital Territory and Interior.
It is for this reason that Tinubu opposes Soludo as minister of finance.
Soludo is reported to have been persuaded by Obasanjo to accept the nomination.
Tinubu is now reportedly pulling the strings for President-elect
Buhari's transition team. Buhari is expected to constitute his
transition team which will consist of politicians and private sector
players that will enable his smooth takeover from the leaving
President Goodluck Jonathan government.
--NAIJ.COM
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