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Search for ministers, others continues as Tinubu meets Masari at Presidential Villa 

Gbajabiamila: We may review Electoral Act to remove direct primary

Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker, Nigeria’s House of Representatives

President Bola Tinubu has intensified search for who to appoint as Ministers and other Cabinet members as some would-be Ministers and other appointees have continued to visit the Presidential Villa, Abuja on a daily basis.
The intensive search might not be unconnected with the new law which reinforces the Section 58 (4) of the 1999 Constitution on the appointment of Ministers and formation of Presidential Cabinet within 60 days of President and Vice-President’s Swearing-in and Oaths taking.
Recall that members of G-5 governors, including former governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State had met President Tinubu last week on possible appointments of some of them as Ministers.
Apart from G-5 governors, former governor of Kano State and the Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Musa Kwankwaso and immediate past governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje had differently met President Tinubu, just as the likes of former governors Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, among others, had visited the President at different times, seeking appointments.
But, on Wednesday, President continued consultation and search for Ministers and other appointees in order to beat 60-day deadline as he met immediate governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja for which an informed source in the Presidency told BusinessDay that “the visitation of such politicians are based on political appointments which President Tinubu is expected to make any moment from now.”
Meanwhile, Femi Gbajabiamila, the President’s Chief of Staff (CoS) on Wednesday formerly resumed office at the Presidential Villa, having resigned from the National Assembly on Tuesday as Member, representing Surulere Federal Constituency at the Federal House of Representatives.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu appointed the former Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff, just as named former governor of Benue State and immediate past Minister of Special Duties, George Akume, as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
The President also appointed Ibrahim Hadejia, a former deputy governor of Jigawa State, as Deputy Chief of Staff, who will operate from the office of the Vice President, Kashim Shettima.
While the others had since resumed duties, the Gbajabiamila, could not resume as he was still officially occupying the position of the Speaker of the 9th Federal House of Representatives until Tuesday, when the 10th National Assembly was inaugurated.
Femi Gbajabiamila who was born on the 25 of June 1962, attended Mainland Preparatory School for elementary education and later Igbobi College in 1973, where he completed his secondary education.
He studied for his advanced level at the King William’s College, on the Isle of Man, United Kingdom, before proceeding to read law at the University of Lagos, graduating with Bachelor of Law, with honours in 1983. He was called to the Nigerian Bar, in 1984.
Gbajabiamila began his working career at the law firm of Bentley Edu & Co., in Lagos, before establishing his own law firm, Femi Gbaja & Co.
Among the several positions he held at the Federal House of Representatives, Gbajabiamila was the Minority leader of the Federal House of Representatives in the 7th National Assembly.
He was also head of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating claims by the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), where he investigated the N140.9bn debt owed by Zenon Petroleum & Gas Limited’ and ‘Forte Oil Plc’.

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