KEY POINTS
- Tinubu plans to reshuffle his cabinet soon.
- Vacancies left by Lalong and Edu need replacements.
- Interest groups are divided over reshuffle plans.
President Bola Tinubu met with his special adviser on policy and coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman, behind closed doors on Monday, raising the possibility that the long-awaited cabinet change may soon be disclosed.
Tinubu’s meeting with advisers hints at reshuffle
It is up to the Policy Coordination Office to decide which ministers will be replaced and which will stay. The office was assigned to supervise ministers’ performance reviews after their withdrawal in November 2023.
The office created a citizens’ delivery tracker to provide information on cabinet performance, and each minister signed a performance bond. Although specifics were not revealed, the meeting with Bala-Usman on Monday is thought to be essential to the reshuffle. To replace the vacancies left by Simon Lalong, the former minister of labour and employment, who resigned to seek his Senate seat, Tinubu is also anticipated to name new ministers.
Since Betta Edu was suspended, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs has been without a minister, and it is uncertain if the president will combine its duties with those of the Ministry of Finance. Programs for social inclusion and disaster relief heavily rely on the ministry.
New ministers expected for vacant positions
The announcement of a new minister for the Ministry of Livestock Development is also anticipated.
The president also received updates from Zacch Adedeji, special assistant on income, following a two-week leave, according to BusinessDay. According to Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information, Tinubu was dissatisfied with several ministers’ performances before his leaving. He pointed out that although the administration has made progress on policy, there hasn’t been enough public communication.
Onanuga stated that the president had indicated his intention to take action shortly, but he could not confirm when the reshuffle would take place.
While certain interest groups support the reshuffle, some are against it, and some have postponed it. All Progressives Congress chieftain Mustapha Audu demanded a reshuffle, saying that “50% of the ministers are underperforming.”
However, the Northern Elders Political Development Group urged the president to prioritise economic and security changes and voiced confidence in some ministries.
