Tinubu To Reward Northern APC Govs As Wike, El-Rufai, Nnamani, Others To Get Key Positions

Reports suggest that President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has already begun assembling his cabinet ahead of his inauguration on May 29.

Sources claim that Tinubu intends to reward Northern All Progressives Congress (APC) governors who played a crucial role in ensuring that a southern candidate succeeded President Muhammadu Buhari by appointing them to key positions in his administration.

Specifically, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State and Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna are said to be in line for top government positions.

Ganduje is expected to be named the next Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while El-Rufai will replace Boss Gida Mustapha as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

Wale Edun, a former Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State who Tinubu previously nominated to be appointed Minister of Finance under Buhari in 2015, has been penciled in to take over the Ministry of Finance.

It is also reported that Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, will be appointed as the Chief of Staff to the President-elect.

Additionally, former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) head Nuhu Ribadu, former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, and former Enugu State Governor Chimaroke Nnamani will all be part of Tinubu’s cabinet.

Tinubu is said to still be consulting with various stakeholders despite being on vacation abroad, with the aim of hitting the ground running immediately after his inauguration.

Some members of the ruling party are also reportedly lobbying for Tinubu to compensate Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike for his role in the presidential election by allowing him to nominate the minister to represent the state in the cabinet.