Several sources in the know have told SaharaReporters that President Goodluck Jonathan’s picks for new cabinet members are likely to be drawn from the ranks of old and recycled politicians. Top on the list of those being considered for appointment are former Governor Boni Haruna of Adamawa, former member of the House of Representatives Ghali Na’Abba, and current chairman of the Federal Emergency Road Management Agency, Jide Adeniji.
Our sources described Mr. Adeniji as one of the most favored prospects, adding that Mr. Jonathan was considering slotting him in to a plum post in the new cabinet that is close to taking shape.
One of our sources said President Jonathan has decided to use the cabinet appointments to position himself to win critical states or zones in the 2015 elections.
SaharaReporters was shown a shortlist of five candidates who have made it to the advanced stage of consideration for ministerial appointment.
Mr. Na’Abba, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, is reported to be in the running, despite his recent history of jumping around with differentpolitical parties. Quite recently, he had a brief stint with the opposition party. But he has realigned himself with the Bamanga Tukur faction of the PeoplesDemocratic Party which has so far received judicial backing as well as recognition by Nigeria’s electoral commission as the authentic PDP. One of our sources described Mr. Na’Abba as “broke.”
Former Governor Boni Haruna’s looming elevation to the cabinet is reportedly part of Mr. Jonathan’s strategy to weaken members of his party from Adamawa who are opposed to his reelection. Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State is a major figure in the ruling party’s splinter group.
Mr. Haruna’s main impediment is that his appointment is likely to deepen the Jonathan administration’s image crisis as a government that thrives on corruption. Mr. Haruna is one of several former governors charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission with grave acts of corruption during his tenure. A source said the administration was taking steps to frustrate the case against the former Adamawa governor.
Recently, the newly appointed Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) withdrew the case files of corrupt former governors from certain judges in the FCT. One of our sources said the surprise judicial move was part of a design to hand the cases to judges amenable to inducement in order to make sure that the cases are adjourned indefinitely or settled in favor of the accused governors.
Nenadi Esther Usman, a former Minister of Finance under President Olusegun Obasanjo, is also one of the ministerial prospects, our sources disclosed. In 2011, Ms. Usman was elected a senator representing Kaduna State in the National Assembly.
However, our source said Ms. Nenadi Usman has a rival in Isaiah Balat who is reportedly being considered for the same ministerial slot. Mr. Balat is a former senator as well as former minister in Mr. Obasanjo’s cabinet.