- Minister insists on ex-chairman, party control
The delay in the full announcement of cabinet members by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is not unconnected with his moves to ensure that every tendency within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is better represented in the administration, according to sources in the party.
“I am aware that the Governor, as part of his move efforts, has personally met with the Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed and a few others to request them to send in nominees for the new cabinet. In fact, the need to give Lai and others more presence in the government was a major reason for the dissolution of the cabinet in the first place,” said a top party leader who asked not to be named.
“Two weeks ago, the Governor came to see the Minister in Abuja and they discussed the cabinet composition. He asked the Minister to bring the names of his nominees, even though he requested that he prefers a mixture of men and women for a balanced cabinet. But the feelers are that the Minister and others fighting the Governor are saying they want the former chairman Basheer Omolaja Bolarinwa to be returned.
This is a condition they are putting on the ground. The Governor does not appear to be disposed to that. Besides, the request is interpreted even at the APC national secretariat to mean that the Minister wants to have absolute control of the party to the detriment of the Governor and other stakeholders who hardly agree with the Minister.”
The Governor had recently released a first list of seven commissioner nominees who have since been confirmed by the House of Assembly.
Another source said the Governor meanwhile has also appealed to party stakeholders to strike a balance between gender and religion of the nominees, in addition to his request for them to bring in people from various camps that formed the APC.
“Another challenge is that the nominees being brought forward are all men. I understand that the Governor is saying that, whereas he appointed 56 percent female commissioners before, the lowest he would go is 50 percent apiece and adequate faith representation,” said a source from one of the camps.
“The challenge now is that the Governor we know may be forced to return his former cabinet members if the camp of Alhaji Lai Mohammed and others do not come up with their cabinet nominees while insisting that BOB must return. I hope reasons prevail so that the party can move on,” he added.
Efforts to reach the spokesmen of the Governor proved futile while calls made to the Minister of Information and Culture did not get through.
