President Bola Tinubu submitted a list of ministerial nominees to the Senate for screening on Thursday .
The 28-man list comprised of four former governors, seven women, serving and former lawmakers and technocrats, were picked from 25 of Nigeria’s 36 states.
The ministerial list in numbers
Ratio of men to women: 75% to 25%
Based on the names on the list, there are 28 individuals mentioned out of which 21 or 75 percent are men and 7 or 25 percent are women
Number of Politicians: 96.4%
96.4 percent or 27 of the individuals in the nominees were actively involved in Nigerian politics prior their nomination. The only exception, that represents the remaining 3.6 percent is Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigerian (SAN) and a jurist who has made a significant contribution to the development of Law and Justice in Nigeria.
He was called to the bar in 1984.
Geo-political zones: 6
According to the names on the list, four are from the North-East, five from North-West, four from North Central, four from South-West, six from South-South, and five from South-East.
North-East: 4
Yusuf Maitama Tuggar – Bauchi, Ali Pate –Bauchi, Abubakar Kyari – Borno and Sani Abubakar Danladi – Taraba
North-West: 5
Badaru Abubakar – Jigawa, Nasiru Ahmed El-Rufai – Kaduna, Ahmed Dangiwa – Katsina, Hannatu Musawa – Katsina, and Bello Muhammad Goronyo – Sokoto
North Central: 4
Lateef Fagbemi – Kwara, Muhammad Idris – Niger, Iman Suleiman Ibrahim – Nasarawa, and Joseph Utsev – Benue
South-West: 4
Olubunmi Tunji Ojo – Ondo, Dele Alake – Ekiti, Olawale Edun – Ogun, and Waheed Adebayo Adelabu – Oyo
South-South: 6
Nyesom Wike – Rivers, Abubakar Momoh – Edo, Betta Edu – Cross River, Ekperikpe Ekpo – Akwa Ibom, Stella Okotette – Delta, and John Enoh – Cross River
South-East: 5
Uche Nnaji – Enugu, Doris Aniche Uzoka – Imo, David Umahi – Ebonyi, Nkeiruka Onyejocha – Abia, and Uju Kennedy Ohaneye – Anambra.
Former lawmakers: 9
Nominnes who have served as lawmakers (Senators or members of the House of Representatives) are nine in total or 32.14 percent and they include:
Yusuf Maitama Tuggar: Member of the Nigerian House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011 representing Gamawa;
Olubunmi Tunji Ojo: A lawmaker from the Akoko North East/Akoko North West Federal Constituency of Ondo State;
Abubakar Kyari: Former senator representing Borno North Senatorial District of Borno State at the 9th National Assembly from 2015 until his resignation in April 2022;
John Enoh: A former Senator representing Central Senatorial District of Cross River State in the 8th Assembly of the Senate;
David Umahi: deputy senate leader, Ebonyi state;
Sani Danladi: Senator for Taraba North on the platform of the PDP;
Nkiriu Onyejeocha: Member of the House of Representatives, representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State;
Abubakar Momoh: Two-time member of the House of Representatives from Edo State
Ekperipe Ekpo: A member of the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011.
Former governors: 4
There are also four individuals or 15 percentage who have served as governors. Some of them are:
David Umahi: Two-term Governor of Ebonyi State between 2015 and 2023.
Nyesom Wike: Immediate past governor of Rivers State.
Mohammed Badaru Abubakar: Served as governor of Jigawa State from 2015 to 2023.
Nasir El-Rufai: Immediate past Governor of Kaduna State.
Educational degrees
Majority of the nominees listed have attained various educational and professional degrees. Some of them are:
Ahmed Dangiwa: Holds first and second degrees in architecture from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and an MBA. He also attended numerous training courses.
Muhammed Idris: Holds a Masters in English Language from Bayero University Kano.
Nyesom Wike: Obtained a Bachelor of Law from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology.
Mohammed Badaru Abubakar: Holds a B.Sc Accounting degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and is an alumnus of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru.
Nasir El-Rufai: A first-class graduate of Quantity Surveying from Ahmadu Bello- University, Zaria.
Olubunmi Tunji Ojo: Holds multiple professional qualifications in ICT.
Ali Pate: Holds a medical degree and is a Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership at Harvard University.
Joseph Utsev: A civil engineer and former Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Wanune.
Abubakar Kyari: Holds a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from the University of Tennessee Martin and Webster University St.Louis Missouri, respectively.
Abubakar Momoh: A Civil engineer by professional training.
Hannatu Musawa: Degree in Law from the University of Buckingham, UK. Postgraduate Master’s degree in the Legal aspects of Marine Affairs from the University of Cardiff, Wales. Master’s degree in Oil & gas from the University of Aberdeen.
Betta Edu: Graduate of medicine and surgery from the University of Calabar. Harvard certified and Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health, United Kingdom.
Read also: Tinubu’s team: Career politicians trump technocrats
Stella Oketete: Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies and Diplomacy from Benson Idahosa University. Diploma in Law from the Rivers State College of Arts and Sciences. Master’s degree in Public Administration and Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution. Completed prestigious certificate programs, including the Harvard Kennedy School Certificate Program for Emerging Leaders and the Entrepreneurial Management program at the Lagos Business School.
Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim: Graduated from the University of Abuja with a degree in sociology at 19. Received two master’s degrees from Webster University, an MBA and MA, at 21.
States left out 11
While the 1999 Constitution makes it mandatory that every state must have at least a minister, eleven states are without ministerial nominees. They include Adamawa, Bayelsa, Gombe, Kano and Kebbi States, Kogi, Lagos, Osun, Yobe, Plateau and Zamfara states.
Read also: 25% of Tinubu’s ministerial nominees are women
Nominees screening
Yemi Adaramodu, the Senate spokesman, stated during an interview on Arise Television that the 10th Senate has suspended its annual vacation to conduct a thorough screening of the ministerial nominees. He also said that “the incomplete list shows the possibility of nominating more women to enhance gender representation in the government and achieve better gender balance in Nigeria’s political landscape.”
Some citizens have criticised the list submitted by the president as having more of politicians than technocrats; about four former governors and several past and present National Assembly members.
“The inclusion of former governors and other public service holders in the list is considered a strategic move to leverage the experience and expertise of individuals who have previously served the nation,” Adaramodu said.
Similarly, Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff to the President, explained that the President released the list without portfolios to retain the flexibility of reshuffling the cabinet or reallocating ministerial roles if necessary. He emphasized the President’s discretion in making such decisions.
Regarding the composition of the nominees, Gbajabiamila said that “the list is a well-balanced combination of politicians and technocrats, ensuring a blend of political acumen and technical expertise.” The president’s team will work on appropriate portfolios to each nominee while the screening is in progress.
