Yabagi Sani, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), on Wednesday, raised concern over the inclusion of seven former governors in his 47 cabinet picks, a choice that sparked debate over President Bola Tinubu’s readiness to lead Africa’s most populous nation.
Among the nominees are Gboyega Oyetola and Bello Matawalle, one-term governors, and Atiku Bagudu, Nasir El-Rufai, Dave Umahi, and Nyesom Wike, who served two terms.
Sani voiced his disapproval when he appeared as a guest on Channels Television Politics Today programme. He questioned why the president included the rejected candidates (the two ex-governors who lost their reelection bids) in his urging for more confidence-building choices.
“How can you come and then embark on policies that you know are anti-people, and you now put people that you know?” he said.
“Some of the people that he put as ministers were rejected by the people; some of them contested, and they were rejected.
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“So, how can you bring them back through the back door again and say they must preside over the affairs of the people? That’s not the kind of country we want to run. We must begin to give Nigerians confidence.”
According to him, with the display they showed during the ministerial screening, few Nigerians would say they were impressed by the President’s ministerial list.
“I’m disappointed—awfully disappointed—because, like I said, Mr. President, Tinubu, is behaving differently from what I expected of him,” he said.
Countering the opinion of the IPAC chairman was Ayo Oyalowo, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who defended the nominations, highlighting the balance between compensation and competence.
He argued that individuals who supported Tinubu during his mandate deserve recognition.
Oyalowo expressed satisfaction with the nominations, citing the competence of several candidates, such as Wale Edun, whom he believes will contribute to running the economy effectively.
He said, “Sometimes, we like to jump on clichés. Even if you’re a Christian or a Muslim, you’re serving God because there’s a benefit attached to it.
“If people are in politics, they are looking for something, so I really don’t see anything wrong with people getting benefits from where they actually worked. For instance, some of these governors worked for him to win his mandate.”
He added that all of the nominees bring competence, character, and experience to the table.
“I believe that they are the ones who will run the economy—someone like Wale Edun, for instance—with a very impressive name, a great resume, and an excellent track record. Those are people that I expect to run the economy,” he said.
