Jostle for Ministerial Appointments Heightens as Tinubu Lists 20 More Special Assistants

President Bola Tinubu is set to approve the appointments of 20 new Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants, and Personal Assistants.

In a report sighted in The Guardian over the weekend, Tinubu’s formal approval is being awaited before they are officially announced.

Some of the nominees are said have already started working in their assigned roles.

Those who made the proposed list of 20 expected to serve as Senior Special Assistants (SSAs), Special Assistants (SAs) and Personal Assistants (PAs) are:

Dr. Adekunle Tinubu – Personal Physician

Tunde Rahman – SSAP (Media)

Damilotun Aderemi – SSAP (Private Secretary)

Ibrahim Masari – SSAP (Political Matters)

Toyin Subair – SSAP (Domestic); Abdulaziz Abdulaziz – SSAP (Print Media)

Otega Ogara – SSAP (Digital/New)

Demola Oshodi – SSAP (Protocol)

Tope Ajayi – SSAP (Media & Public) and Yetunde Sekoni – SSAP

Motunrayo Jinadu – SSAP

Segun Dada – SAP (Social Media)

Paul Adekanye – SAP (Logistics)

Friday Soton – SAP (Housekeeping)

Mrs Shitta-Bey Akande – SAP (Catering)

Nosa Asemota – SAP (Visual Communication) Personal Photographer

Kamal Yusuf – PA (Special Duties)

Wale Fadairo – PA (General Duties)

Sunday Moses – PA (Videography)

Taiwo Okonlawon – PA (State Photographer).

Unconfirmed reports say that no fewer than five former governors will feature in the president’s list of ministerial nominees that is heading to the Senate for approval between now and next week.

It was gathered that the unusual list, dubbed the ‘cabinet of (political) unity’, will have nominees drawn from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and many technocrats.

According to The Guardian, President Bola Tinubu’s handshake across party lines has already elicited contests and intrigues in political camps over the choice of suitable representatives in some of the key states.

But there may be enough slots to go around sought-after persons. The reports hinted that barring last-minute change, the cabinet will be as bloated as what former President Muhammadu Buhari had, but with major realignments in portfolios.

The President has less than 20 days left out of the 60 allowed by the Constitution for him to send his list of Ministers to the Senate for screening.

It was learnt that a 42-member cabinet is being expected because “each state is constitutionally mandated to have a representative at the cabinet and as it was done by the last administration, each of the six geological zones will also have members in the unity government.”

The new cabinet, as gathered, will consist of 42 Ministers and 20 Special Advisers. Some of the remarkable difference from the last administration would be the likely abrogation of Ministers of State. Also, SAs will contribute to discussions at the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings.

Also being anticipated is the unbundling of some large ministries into two or three to create enough portfolios for cabinet members. Some of the ministries to be touched include Works and Housing, Agriculture and Rural Development, Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, and Youths and Sports.