There were indications on Saturday that President Muhammadu
Buhari and the All Progressives Congress had begun moves to compensate the
South-East for not getting any appointments so far in the current
administration.
SUNDAY PUNCH reliably gathered that some states in the
geopolitical zone might get more than one ministerial slot.
The Presidency and the APC sources, who spoke to SUNDAY
PUNCH on condition of anonymity, also justified the appointments made by Buhari
on Thursday.
A top member of the party said the President was not
unmindful of criticisms that greeted the alleged lopsided appointments.
He said, “The President has assured us that all zones that
have not been represented in the appointments he has made so far will be
compensated.
“For example, some states in the South-East may get more
than one ministerial slots. The President is going to make board and
ambassadorial appointments. All zones, including the South-East, will be
represented in this government.”
Prominent Nigerians and socio-political groups, have
criticised the appointments made by Buhari so far.
Out of 31 appointments made so far, 24 of the appointees are
from the North and seven are from the South. The South-East has no
representation in the Buhari-led government.
SUNDAY PUNCH however gathered that the emergence of the new
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pastor David Lawal, and the
Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, was the result of the politics among power blocks
in the APC.
It was learnt that the two appointees belonged to the
Congress for Progressive defunct Change, which Buhari led, before it merged
with other parties to form the APC
A Presidency source told one of our correspondents that
Lawal and Kyari were picked because of their closeness and loyalty to the
President.
The source said, “Although the President is a loyal member
of the party, the levels of trust he has in the members differ. There are
various blocks in the APC.
“You don’t give appointments such as chief of staff and the
SGF to your rival or his loyalists; you give them to those you can vouch for.
Those posts are ears and eyes of the President and they are not subjected to
the party’s ratification.”
It was also gathered that the latest appointments confirmed
the existence of various power blocks in the APC.
It will be recalled that the CPC, led by Buhari, merged with
the Action Congress of Nigeria, the All Nigerians Peoples Party and a faction
of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, led by the Imo State Governor, Rochas
Okorocha, to form the APC.
They were later joined by five governors, who defected from
the Peoples Democratic Party.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also defected from the
PDP to the APC.
Meanwhile, the Presidency, on Saturday, assured Nigerians
that by the end of the series of appointments being made by Buhari, no part of
Nigeria would feel alienated.
The Special Assistant to the President on Media Affairs, Mr.
Garba Shehu, said this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents.
When asked if the South- East and other parts of the
country, who are complaining of being marginalised by Buhari would be
compensated, Shehu said appointments so far made by the President were just a
few out of so many that would be made by the President.
He said, “There will be ministers, heads of government
departments, federal boards and ambassadors. At the end of the exercise, no
part of the country will be left feeling left out.”
Copyright PUNCH.
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