As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headed by Prof. Attahiru Jega released its election time table, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodlcuk Ebele Jonathan has ordered that any minister in his cabinet who has a political ambition should resign voluntarily latest by first week of February.
Competent sources told this weekly that, the Supervising Minister for Education, Chief Barr. Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike might quit the Federal Executive Council (FEC) since he has the ambition to become the next Governor of Rivers State.
Chief Wike as we are reliably gathered has concluded plan to flag up his gubernatorial ambition.
The Supervising Minister for Education has tested his political popularity through a renowned socio-political organization known as the Grassroot Development Initiative (GDI).
GDI’s main objective is to hold brief for the Minister before he will finally made his ambition known to the Rivers people. Wike has worked tirelessly for the return of President Jonathan in 2015 and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
According to information, Wike repositioned the ruling party through the effort of the President’s wife, Dame (Dr.) Patience Goodluck Jonathan, which brought in Hon. Felix Obuah as the chairman of the party in the state.
At different fora, Wike has met with Mrs. Jonathan and pleaded for her support to capture the Brick House in 2015.
Sources, however hinted our political correspondent that, the President’s wife assured the Minister of her support to ensure that he actualizes his gubernatorial ambition in 2015.
The Newswriter gathered from a competent source in Abuja on Tuesday that in no distant time there will be cabinet shakeup at the federal level.
It said most ministers who have developed ambition to become governors in their respective states are afraid to quit their appointments since they are not sure of their tickets.
The source said, “The President cannot wait endlessly for them. That is why he has given them the directive to resign voluntarily between now and February. Definitely, there will be further changes in the cabinet.”
The source, who asked not to be named, did not say when the President ordered the ministers with political ambitions to quit.
The Minister of Police Affairs, Navy-Cpt. Caleb Olubolade (rtd.) is eyeing the Peoples Democratic Party ticket for the Ekiti State governorship election in June this year.
Others who are eyeing governorship seats are the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku (Nasarawa); the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe (Delta), and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed (Bauchi).
Our source explained that the impending cabinet shake-up would see some of the current ministers dropped.
The Newswriter gathered on Monday that the exercise would take place after the ministerial nominees would have resumed work after being cleared by the Senate. Their screening begins this week.
The Presidency source explained that the ministerial nominees would fill existing vacancies in the cabinet.
He said, “The cabinet shake-up will definitely be in two phases. One was the one we witnessed in September 2013. The list before the Senate is meant to fill the current vacancies in the cabinet.
“What is clear is that by the time those ones are cleared and they resume work, more ministers will be asked to leave”.
