Aso Rock Won't Consult G7 Governors On New Minister Nominees

The crack in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is widening, with President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision not to consult the aggrieved group of seven governors on the choice of new ministers.

Nine ministers were relieved of their jobs last week. Before then, Minister of Youth Development Inuwa Abdulkadir from Sokoto State had been sacked.

Those disengaged last week, ostensibly for their loyalty to perceived “opponents” of the President, are: Olugbenga Ashiru (Foreign Affairs); , Ruqqayatu Rufai (Education); Shamsudeen Usman.(National Planning); Amal Pepple (Land and Urban Development); Hadiza Mailafia, (Environment); Ita Ewa (Science and Technology);Olusola Obada(Defence); Zainab Kuchi(Power); and Tijani Bukar (Agriculture).

The tradition in the PDP has been for governors to nominate candidates for minister from among whom the President picks.

This will not apply now, a Presidency official, who pleaded not to be named, said last night. The thinking in official circles is that the governors have bungled the opportunity to have a say on the ministerial list.

The source said: “By visiting the National Assembly on Tuesday , the Presidency felt the governors had breached an agreement reached with Jonathan on Sunday night.”

The President, said the source, tried to bring everybody together but the governors violated the ceasefire.

“So, the decision of the President and his strategists is that none of the G-7 governors will have input into the nomination of candidates into the vacant 10 cabinet slots,” he said, adding:

“All the nominees will be seriously screened to prevent having moles in government.”

The source alleged that the attitude of some of the governors and leaders of the Kawu Baraje faction of the PDP confirmed one of the reasons why some ministers were removed.

He spoke of security reports confirming that some of the sacked ministers were leaking Federal Executive Council (FEC) papers to the aggrieved governors.

The Rotimi Amaechi faction of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) demanded for the resignation of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. This, to the Presidency, confirms that the governors had some insights into a few economic policies in the offing, through the leaked council papers, and decided to harass the minister”.

Also, there were indications yesterday that the peace talks between President Jonathan and the governors might be heading for a deadlock.

Another government functionary, who is one of the strategists of the President, said: “With the latest twist in the House, it will be difficult for the President to return to the peace table with the G-7 governors and Baraje faction on October 7.

“The option already tabled before the President by his strategists or think-tank is to damn the consequences of the G-7. The President loses nothing by ignoring these people.

“With the exception of Rivers and Kwara State, the President lost in the remaining five states during the 2011 poll. So, some of the governors are not political assets in any manner.”