Nigeria passed the leadership baton from Muhammadu Buhari to Bola Tinubu on May 29. Since then, the new administration has been making different appointments.

On October 16, the president swore in three fresh ministers during his administration’s second Federal Executive Council meeting, upping the number of his cabinet ministers to 48.

Aside ministers, the president has hired heads of federal agencies across board. But from a president said to have prepared for office for decades, there have been too many shocks.

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MARYAM SHETTIMA

It started with Maryam Shettima, a medical doctor of Kano State origin, in August. Shettima’s name was included in the supplementary list of ministerial nominees the president forwarded to the Senate on August 2.

While already seeing herself as a potential minister, the president withdrew Shettima’s nomination when the Senate was already screening nominees. She was replaced with Mariya Mahmud Bunkure.

Although no official communication provided the reason for her withdrawal, there were reports that the 44-year-old doctor’s nomination had been done without consulting Abdullahi Ganduje, former Kano State Governor and national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

NDDC BOARD WITHDRAWN APPOINTMENTS

In trying to make up the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Tinubu approved the nomination of Victor Akinjo to represent Ondo State and Asi Oku Okang to represent Cross River State.

No sooner had their nominations been announced than the president took it back. This action was perhaps prompted by the opposition from APC members in the two states to the duo’s appointments.

For instance, Akinjo was accused of being a member of the Peoples Democratic Party. A video of him faulting the APC primary elections in June 2022 emerged online. He had also accused the party of imposing Tinubu as a presidential candidate, making a jest of his health status.

Otito Atikase was subsequently nominated to replace Akinjo, while Otuk Duke replaced Okang.

IMAM KASHIM IMAM

Last week, some Nigerians viewed the appointment of Imam Kashim Imam as the board chairman of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) as undeserving.

Imam, a 24-year-old mechanical engineer, was an aide to David Umahi, the Minister of Works. His father, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, is a close ally of the president and was reported not to have foreknowledge of the appointment.

The major argument against him stemmed from the fact that he completed his NYSC one-year service in 2022 and has no significant work experience necessary to take on that huge role.

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Yesterday, the president shifted grounds and revoked the engineer’s appointment. While other appointees remain on their roles, the president ordered Imam’s removal with immediate effect.

There are bound to be more appointments in the coming days as the president continues to bring new faces on board. However, the consistent withdrawal of people’s nominations raises questions about the quality of stakeholder consultations the president ensures before making choices of who becomes what. It also challenges the claim by the president’s supporters that he had prepared for the job for several years.