Politics

Ministers’ Sack: Just Not Enough

Published

5 years ago

September 13, 2021

Just when Nigerians have largely given up and merely marking time for the present Federal Government to roll up its acts in the next one year and eight months or so, the President, Muhammadu Buhari, emerged from the blues to relieve two cabinet ministers of their appointment, last week.
Addressing the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, September 1, 2021, President Buhari gave a synoptic overview of the aspirations of his administration, especially since August, 2019 and how desirous he was to bequeath legacy achievements by the terminal date of the government.
To this end, he said, he had decided to respond to identified weaknesses and strengths in his government with a view to making positive impact in the existential condition of Nigerians.
“Accordingly, a few cabinet changes, marking the beginning of a continuous process, have been approved,” he said, adding that Mohammed Sabo Nanono, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and his counterpart in the Ministry of Power, Engr. Sale Mamman would be marking “their last participation in the Federal Executive Council deliberations”.
“Two years and some months into the second term, the tradition of subjecting our projects and programme implementation to independent and critical self-review has taken firm roots through sector Reporting during cabinet meetings and Retreats.
“These significant review steps have helped to identify and strengthen weak areas, close gaps, build cohesion and synergy in governance, manage the economy and improve the delivery of public good to Nigerians”, he said, declaring that “As we are all aware, change is the only factor that is constant in every human endeavour and as this administration approaches its critical phase in the second term, I have found it essential to reinvigorate this cabinet in a manner that will deepen its capacity to consolidate legacy achievements.”
In an attempt to explain the president’s action, Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity said on national television that “The president must have what he wants to achieve in those two areas within the 20 months left in government and maybe that is why he did what he did. But it was by no means a red card on their performance”.
He, however, admitted that the spheres of supervision of the sacked ministers could not have been without need for improvement and revamping.
“Matter of fact is that the President said he had reviewed the performance of the cabinet and needed to reinvigorate for the last run. He said he wanted to consolidate on legacy performance and projects”, the presidential spokesman emphasised, adding that “If you look at the nine priority areas, you will see that, as much as the ministers did, in my own esteem, there are areas of improvement in those two sectors.”
After more than six years in office, and with less than two years to breast the tape in May, 2023, not a few Nigerians are impressed that the president is suddenly waking up to the need to rework his machinery to deliver governance that addresses the fundamental needs of the people.
They say it probably took the president this long to realise what he should have done years ago because he had not seemed to be sufficiently bothered about improving the quality of life of the Nigerian masses.
Nigerians, over the years, have had to endure a president who had not only been seen to be aloof, indifferent and non-challant but had also not demonstrated sufficient sensitivity to their socio-economic emasculation as their lives progressively deteriorated.
The feeling among Nigerians is that the targeting of only two ministers on the basis of performance or non-performance is not only diversionary but an exercise that is too fickle, feeble and not intended to achieve any results that could change the calamitous circumstances of the majority of our countrymen that are daily buffeted and broken by poverty, hunger, disease and insecurity.
“After six years of weak performance by his government, President Buhari has reportedly fired two Ministers (Agriculture and Power) who, presumably in his judgement deserved to go. It’s the correct decision but very late in the day,” said Kingsley Moghalu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and former presidential candidate of Young Progressive Party (YPP) in the 2019 general elections.
In its own reaction, the main opposition party in the country, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), described the president’s action as “a ludicrous and ineffective attempt to cover for his failures in office”.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodinya, the PDP said “the manifest inefficiency of the Buhari administration is a product of the President’s myopic and divisive approach to governance, as well as the impunity and corruption deeply imbedded in his administration and party, the All Progressives Congress (APC)”.
The PDP said it was its considered opinion that the president must have had other motives for sacking the ministers apart from the ones expressed by the presidency, adding that Nigerians were not swayed by the action, but could scarcely wait for 2023 to show the Aso Rock Villa occupant and his party out of power.
Stakeholders in the agricultural sector while hailing the president for the action said the minister should have been let go much earlier, noting that the sector had not performed well in the past 10 years.
Describing the performance of Nanono as selfish, dishonourable and below average, the Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Kano State, Mr Abdulra-sheed Magaji said “He handled the ministry like a personal outfit unprofessionally”.
According to Mr Rotimi Oloye, former president of Catfish and allied Fish Farmers Association of Nigeria (CAFFAN), “The man was a colossal failure on his assignment. He was a mismatch for the big job. He was all about his private agenda and vendetta,” noting that he messed up all efforts of the government through his biased relationship with stakeholders.
National President of Agriculture Bureau Association, Suleiman Dikwa pointed out that recent data ranked Nigeria fifth in the world on the food affordability index while another report showed that about $6.7 billion is lost annually to poor post-harvest handling.
Dikwa lamented that most of the funds and farm inputs did not get to the farmers because they were allegedly cornered by politicians who have connections at CBN.
“He has not shown any leadership in the sector. He did not show the capacity to drive up the performance of the agencies and entities in the market”, was the assessment of Dr Sam Amadi, former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on the sacking of Engr. Mamman, submitting that the minister “basically failed “ and had a “woeful” performance.
However, in the view of the civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), Engr. Mamman and Nanono are not the only ministers that should have been shown the way out on account of equally dismal execution of their assignments.
The National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko said those also deserving of the big stick of the president include the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, his Defence Counterpart, as well as the National Security Adviser (NSA).
“The NSA should have been sacked about two years ago. The country has never had it so bad in terms of security threats”, he said.
Other ministers that have had Nigerians openly demanding for their ouster from office include Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health for their handling of the protracted industrial crisis in the health sector.
“I want to ask Nigerians to tell those that are the cause of the strike and have not done their work, that they should be sacked or resign from the positions they hold”, the President of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi said.
There is no denying the fact that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has not lived up to its promise to Nigerians in the overall. The President must therefore go beyond just cabinet reshuffle, no matter the scale, (and there many who believe that the entire cabinet should have been removed) wake up from his reverie to the fact that the only way he could avoid ending up a failure (as he fears) is to jettison ethno-political and sundry considerations in favour of integrity, competence and capacity to deliver in the remaining part of his administration.

By: Opaka Dokubo

Politics

Parties’ Deregistration: How Justice Lifu Overruled Appeal Court Justices

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday brushed aside the order of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which ordered him to stay proceedings in a suit that sought deregistration of the African Democratic Party (ADC), Accord Party and three others.
The Court of Appeal in a unanimous decision of a panel of three Justices had on May 22, 2026 directed the Federal High Court Judge not to proceed with the suit until an appeal pending before them and filed by Accord Party is resolved.
In a Certified True Copy Enrol Order of the Superior Court, Justices Mohammed Danjuma, Adebukola Banjoko and Oyejoju Oyewumi asked the lower Court Judge to stay proceedings until all issues on the appeal filed by the Accord Party were resolved
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State had, through the Accord Party, applied to justice Lifu to join him as a defendant in the deregistration legal battle instituted by a group of former legislators.
The contention of the Osun State governor was that he had a stake in the Accord Party, being the platform he was seeking re-election in the August 15 gubernatorial poll in the state.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu on April 27 ruled against the Osun State governor, rejecting his request to be joined in the suit to defend his own position and interest.
Not satisfied with the Federal High Court decision, the Osun State governor, through his lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), moved to the Court of Appeal in Abuja where he challenged the Justice Lifu decision to refuse to allow him join the suit.
After listening to the argument canvassed, especially that he has interest to protect as Accord Party gubernatorial candidate for Osun State governorship election, the three Justices of the Court of Appeal, unanimously directed Justice Lifu to allow them look into the grievances of the governor.
In specific terms, the Court of Appeal Justices directed Justice Lifu not to proceed further with the matter and fixed October 27 to determine the interlocutory appeal of the appellant.
However, when the certified enroll order and notice of appeal were served on Justice Peter Lifu by Mr Adetunbi (SAN), the judge rejected it on the ground that it was a ploy to arrest his judgment in the matter.
Although the judge had adjourned his judgment delivery in the matter indefinitely, he finally made a dramatic turn around on Monday and proceeded to deliver the judgment that has now proscribed the five political parties.

Politics

ADC: Okonkwo Rejects Amaechi As Presidential Running Mate, Withdraws Support

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

Actor turned politician, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo, has rejected the choice of former Rivers State Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, as the running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement on Monday, Mallam Bolaji Abdulllahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, announced the party’s choice of Mr Amaechi.
However in a statement, Mr Okonkwo said that the choice of Mr Amaechi from the South South strengthens the continued marginalization of people from the South East.
According to the former spokesperson of the Labour Party, any arrangement that would not factor a person from the South East either as president or vice president in the party is anti-Igbo.
He contended that Chief Raph Nwosu, who founded the ADC in 2005 and willingly surrendered it’s leadership to Senator David Mark did not do so to entrench Igbo marginalization in the party.
The former actor said: “I heard from the social media that ADC has picked its vice presidential candidate from the South-South. If this is true, it is unfortunate, as this will continue the crude marginalisation of the South-East.
“This geo-political zone has neither produced a president or vice president since 1999. To deny the South-East the opportunity to produce the president or vice president in the ADC in 2027, will amount to perpetuating the marginalisation.
“The ADC was founded by Ralphs Nwosu from the South-East in 2005. He made the sacrifice to give up the party in 2025 for the coalition to usher in a better Nigeria. He couldn’t have made that sacrifice to marginalise his own people.
“I did not join the coalition to assist in marginalisation of my own people further. I am of the opinion that if we made a sacrifice to give up the national chairman and the president, it will amount to unpardonable injustice to deny us the vice president in 2027.
“I joined politics to fight for a better Nigeria where no region, geo-political zone, or person will be marginalised.
“The only favour I asked Atiku Abubakar, who openly declared that he is the pathway to the presidency of the South-East, is to show it by choosing someone from the South-East to be his vice.
“If it is confirmed that he has chosen a candidate from the South-South, I wish him well. I am not favourably disposed to campaigning for any presidential ticket that does not have a person of South-East origin as president or vice in 2027”

Politics

2027: Tinubu’s Projects Give APC Edge In South East – Yilwatda

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, on Monday said that the numerous projects being executed by President Bola Tinubu across the states in the southeast will give him upper hand over other presidential candidates during next year’s general elections.
Prof. Yilwatda stated this at the Abakaliki Township Stadium during a mega rally organized by the Ebonyi State government and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, during which President Tinubu and other APC candidates for the 2027 general elections were adopted.
According to the APC National Chairman, no President had done for the southeast region what President Tinubu has done for them and expressed the confidence that the president would not only win in Ebonyi State but in the entire South East.
Prof. Yilwatda also used the occasion to address growing insinuations in some quarters that Ebonyi State had been conceded to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Dismissing the claim, Prof. Yilwatda said the state would not allow the PDP to win any position in the forthcoming general election.
“We will return President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Francis Nwifuru as Governor of Ebonyi State in 2027.
“We want to return all APC senators, members of the House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates in 2027.
“Nobody has conceded Ebonyi to the PDP. Therefore, there is no vacancy in Ebonyi State. Ebonyi PDP has no place, and there is no vacancy at all in the Government House come 2027,” the APC National Chairman declared.
He commended the people of the state for their support for President Tinubu and urged them to re-elect him in the next presidential election in appreciation of what he has done for the state and the entire South-East through infrastructural transformation and human capital development.
Governor Francis Nwifuru, who also spoke at the event, said the state had no other presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections apart from President Tinubu.

He declared that Ebonyi remained a stronghold of the APC and vowed that the party would deliver the President in the state.

Gov. Nwifuru said President Tinubu had shown exceptional commitment to the state and deserved total support for appointing Senator Umahi as Minister of Works, a role he said Senator Umahi had performed creditably.

“Ebonyi has no other presidential candidate apart from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and we will return him in the presidential election.

“We are standing here today to tell the whole world, especially those using the President’s name to orchestrate division and confusion in this great state, that we have only one party, and that is the APC.

“This statement became necessary because some people are going around claiming they have discussed with Mr President and that he has handed Ebonyi over to the PDP. They are also saying that Chief Nyesom Wike is their leader and that Wike said the President has given Ebonyi to him.

“Ebonyi is not for sale. We are restraining ourselves because the people are with us. Nobody should push us because we have what it takes to confront anyone trying to destabilise us.

“We want to tell Mr President that he has earned our votes. He gave us what we had never had in Eastern Nigeria — the office of the Minister of Works. And this Minister of Works is not sitting idle; he is working,” he stated.

Senator Umahi, in his remarks, said President Tinubu had done what no other President had done for Ebonyi State and the entire South-East by executing numerous projects across the state and the region.

“Ebonyi State is a one-party state under Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. We are not going to repeat the mistakes of the past.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done a lot, not just for Ebonyi State but for the entire South-East and other geopolitical zones,” he said.