As the May 29 handover date draws nearer, which may lead to the setting up of a new cabinet, ministers from the South-West are already jittery, fearing they may not be re-appointed.


Investigations by our correspondent indicated that many of the ministers, who were nominated either by their state governors or ‘godfathers,’ were afraid they might not make the new cabinet.


President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to drop the present crop of ministers as soon as he takes a fresh oath of office on May 29.


Ministers from the zone are Olusegun Aganga (Finance), who is from Lagos State; Prince Adetokunbo Kayode (Defence), who is an indigene of Ondo State; Sen. Akinlabi Olasunkanmi(Youth Development), who hails from Osun State.


Others are the Minister of Sports, who is from Oyo State, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja; the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Caleb Olubolade, who is from Ekiti State and the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Chief Jubril Martins Kuye, a native of Ogun State.


Our correspondent gathered that the ministers, who were afraid that the dismal outing of their political party, the Peoples Democratic Party in the elections in the South West region apart from the presidential election, had shown that they were not popular in their respective states.


The PDP lost in all the elections conducted in the zone as the Action Congress of Nigeria won in all the states except Ondo, where the Labour Party defeated other political parties.


When the PDP won during the presidential election, most of the ministers had boasted that it was because of the acceptability of the party in the zone, vowing that the party would repeat the same feat during the governorship and state assembly elections.


But to their shock, the PDP was defeated in the elections, the party was also voted out of power in both Ogun and Oyo States.


A presidency source told our correspondent that the President was disappointed that the ministers were unable to win “even their senatorial district for the party despite the assurances they had given the president to deliver their states.”


Apart from this, it was also learnt that the president and the leadership of the party were not happy that a particular minister starved the party of funds during a rerun in his state.


It was further alleged that the state chapter of the party sent a petition to the President and the national headquarters of the party, detailing how the party was unable to mobilise its members for the election.


Apart from this, it was leant that the unwritten alliance that was said to have been entered into by the leader of the ACN and a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who is being credited with the votes that the President got from the zone, would also mean that the ministers would have to give way for the former governor’s nominees.


In addition to this, many of those who nominated the ministers, are also said to be interested in the offices, now that they are out of power.


For example, the outgoing Governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, nominated Adedoja, who is from Ibadan, thinking that that would help in appeasing the people of the city, who were bent on voting him out of power.


Now, that he has lost his re-election bid, the governor is said to be eyeing the ministerial slot for the state.


Also, the former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who nominated Olasunkanmi, was said to have thought that he would be able to finish his tenure and retire to the Senate.


But having lost on the two sides, Oyinlola is also said to be lobbying to be made a minister.


The ministers are however not leaving anything to chance as they have started intense lobby.


One of them was seen with a prominent member of the party from the South-South recently at the Electoral Institute of the Independent National Electoral Commission when the President came to collect his Certificate of Return.





The minister (name withheld) practically turned to errand boy for the influential party chief, who is said to have the ears of the President on all matters, as he was seen running around for the chief (name with held).


The controversial chief, who savoured the attention given to him, capitalised on the desperate move by the minister to serve him by asking him to carry his bag while he greeted people.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20110504145570

;d ;d ;d

the people of yoruba are just vexing, vexing vexing, dey dnt wnt nonsense again ooo.

our eyes don open, look like the ppl of south East are always cheated on, during ministerial appointment ( just an observation)