Ministerial List: Five Ex-Govs, Technocrats Lead Tinubu’s 42-Man Cabinet (See Full List)

As the jostle for ministerial list reaches the home stretch, there are strong indications that no fewer than five former governors will feature in the president’s list of nominees that is heading to the Senate for approval between now and next week.

The unusual list, already dubbed the ‘cabinet of (political) unity’, will have nominees drawn from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and many technocrats.

President Bola Tinubu’s handshake across party lines has already elicited contests and intrigues in political camps over choice of suitable representatives in some of the key states.

The President has less than 20 days left out of the 60 allowed by the Constitution for him to send his list of Ministers to the Senate for screening.

Yesterday, it was learnt that a 42-member cabinet is being expected because each state is constitutionally mandated to have a representative at the cabinet and as it was done by the last administration, each of the six geological zones will also have members in the unity government.

The new cabinet, as gathered, will consist of 42 Ministers and 20 Special Advisers. Some of the remarkable difference from the last administration would be the likely abrogation of Ministers of State. Also, SAs will contribute to discussions at the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings.

Also being anticipated is the unbundling of some large ministries into two or three to create enough portfolios for cabinet members. Some of the ministries to be touched include Works and Housing, Agriculture and Rural Development, Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, and Youths and Sports.

Those who made the proposed list of 20 expected to serve as Senior Special Assistants (SSAs), Special Assistants (SAs) and Personal Assistants (PAs) are: Dr Adekunle Tinubu – Personal Physician; Tunde Rahman – SSAP (Media); Damilotun Aderemi – SSAP (Private Secretary); Ibrahim Masari – SSAP (Political Matters); Toyin Subair – SSAP (Domestic); Abdulaziz Abdulaziz – SSAP (Print Media); Otega Ogara – SSAP (Digital/New); Demola Oshodi – SSAP (Protocol); Tope Ajayi – SSAP (Media & Public) and Yetunde Sekoni – SSAP.

Others are Motunrayo Jinadu – SSAP; Segun Dada – SAP (Social Media); Paul Adekanye – SAP (Logistics); Friday Soton – SAP (Housekeeping); Mrs Shitta-Bey Akande – SAP (Catering); Nosa Asemota – SAP (Visual Communication) Personal Photographer; Kamal Yusuf – PA (Special Duties); Wale Fadairo – PA (General Duties); Sunday Moses – PA (Videography); and Taiwo Okonlawon – PA (State Photographer).

The proposed nominees, according to a document seen at the weekend, await President Tinubu’s formal approval before it is officially announced. Some of the nominees have actually started working in the assigned roles.