POLITICS: President Jonathan reshuffles cabinet

Following the resignation of seven ministers last week, President Jonathan has reshuffled his cabinet, appointing temporary ministers to take up the positions of those that resigned.

Announcing this today October 22nd after the Federal Executive Council, the  Minister of State II for Foreign Affairs, Nurudeen Mohammed who now supervises the  Ministry of Information, said the Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Aliyu Gusau will now double as the Minister of State for Defence while the Minister of Special Duties, Taminu Turaki (SAN) will act as the Supervising Minister of Labour and Productivity. Continue...

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, will combine his duties with those of the Minister of State for same Ministry while the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Dr Steven Oru, will double as the Minister of State of the same ministry. Dr. Khaliru Alhassan, who is the Minister of State for Health is to now act as the Minister of Health.

President Jonathan also directed the Minister of State I for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Viola Onwuliri to assume the position of the substantive Minister of State for Education. She will be the only one working in substantive capacity. All others will be working in active capacity.

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Wait, Asari Dokubo now believes the Chibok Girls are missing?

He posted this on his Facebook page yesterday. He argued before that the abduction was a scam, does it mean he now believes the Chibok girls are missing?

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Labaran Maku, Wike, Obanikoro, four others resign as Ministers

Seven serving ministers in President Jonathan’s cabinet today October 15th resigned their positions.

Those who resigned are: the Ministers of Information, Labaran Maku; Minister of Trade and Industry, Samuel Ortom; Minsiter of Health Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, Minister of State for Defence Dairus Ishaku, Minsiter of Labor, Emeka Wogu, Minister of State for Defence, Mr Musiliu Obanikoro and Minister of State for Education, Mr Nyesom Wike.

All the ministers resigned to pursue their gubernatorial ambitions in their various states. 

Lindaikeji.

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Finally! Why Maku will exit Jonathan’s cabinet

MINISTERS angling to govern their states are likely to exit President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet next week.Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, who is taking a shot at Nasarawa State governorship seat on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is one of those certain to exit before October 20.Nigerian Tribune gathered that Maku confirmed his imminent exit to a political gathering in the state last week, where all PDP aspirants gathered to discuss possible consensus arrangement.
He has nine other aspirants to vie against, including Senator Solomon Ewuga.
Maku has also reportedly scheduled a thanksgiving service for October 20, to commemorate his exit from Jonathan-led administration.
A source, however, said October 15 Federal Executive Council (FEC) could be the final day for the affected ministers.

Another cabinet member reportedly set for exit is Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, who is seeking PDP’s ticket to govern Rivers State.
A likely shocking exit from the cabinet is said to be the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, who is being reportedly drafted into Ebonyi governorship race, also on the platform of PDP.
Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, is another member of the FEC expected to say goodbye next week.
He is in contention for PDP ticket for Lagos State governorship.
Minister of State for Power, Mohammed Wakil, is also believed to be nursing governorship ambition to rule Borno State.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Muhammed, is reportedly preparing for Bauchi State, while his Labour counterpart, Emeka Wogu, is getting serious mention for Abia govenorship seat.

Though Dr Samuel Ortom, Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Investment, had been reportedly zoned out in Benue State, he is yet to drop his governorship ambition and could likely exit the cabinet to pursue it.
It was learnt that Jonathan might hand over their ministries to supervising ministers before the appointment of substantive ministers to replace them.
Where the senior ministers are quitting, the ministers of state are likely to take over, while the exit of ministers of state might not affect the configuration in such ministries.

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Nobody can stop Fayose’s inauguration –PDP national scribe

The National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof Adewale Oladipo has said nobody can stop the swearing-in of Mr. Ayodele Fayose as the executive governor of Ekiti State.The swearing-in ceremony is slated for Thursday, October 16, 2014 in Ado-Ekiti. Oladipo said this in an interview during the Sallah party organised by Prince Buruji Kashamu, chairman, Mobilisation and Organisation, PDP South West at the Goodluck Jonathan Political Centre in Ijebu Igbo on Sunday.
He said: “The Ekiti people have spoken very loud and clear, they have rejected the
tele-guided government from Lagos. Fayose won the June 21 gubernatorial election, square and fair, in the 16 local government areas.
“It is unfortunate that somebody who is supposed to be my academic colleague, who is supposed to be educated, unlike those people in APC, should be involved in frustrating the forthcoming swearing-in.
“Fayemi is supposed to be a good man, he congratulated Fayose as the governor-elect, who won in all the 16 local government areas and in almost all the wards in Ekiti State.

Oladipo said: “I am assuring you that Fayose will be sworn-in as the state governor in two weeks’ time by the special grace of God.
“People can try to remove him; they have tried it before, they’ve tried to remove Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola in Osun State; they tried it and succeeded in removing the late Olusegun Agagu in Ondo State; they removed Dr. Segun Oni in Ekiti State, unfortunately, that one went back to them, Oyinlola also went back to them because both are not men enough.”
“In Ekiti State, this time around, I am assuring you, we will not allow anybody again, in this country, to take the  back door to get what the people have not given to them. The people of the state have given their mandate to Ayodele Fayose and he will be sworn in as the governor of Ekiti State.
I can assure you of that,” Oladipo said.
In justifying why Fayose must be sworn in he said: “Fayose was cleared by all the screening agencies charged with that responsibility and found eligible, he contested the gubernatorial election and won. The people have spoken loud and clear.”
He commended the traditional rulers in Ekiti State for their timely warning that Fayose should be allowed to run the affairs of the state.

“I saw their statement and I commend them, they are our fathers, I commend them for what they have said. PDP has won in Ekiti State, let the APC wait for the next four years. Fayose in the governor-elect and he will be installed by the grace of God. Nobody can stop it,” Oladipo said.

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