SHAKE-UP: JONATHAN SHOPS FOR POLITICIANS AS MINISTERS

As President Goodluck Jonathan prepares to re-jig his cabinet, facts have emerged that “real” politicians who have the ability of checkmate governors of their respective states would constitute the new cabinet.

A highly placed official of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), who pleaded not to be mentioned, said the move was aimed at eliminating opposition, especially from PDP governors who are currently opposed to President Jonathan’s second term project.

A cabinet change in the administration of President Jonathan is in the offing, with the ministers taking their turns since last week to give account of their stewardship in office in the last two years.

The President had last year commenced the process of replacing some of his cabinet members when he got the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP to interview his ministers on their level of performance.

The PDP NWC had long completed that assignment and written to the President on their findings on the ministers.

Sources close to both the Presidency and the PDP NWC told Sunday Independent that President Jonathan “is ready to effect a change in his cabinet and may likely rely on the NWC report to carry out his reshuffling.”

Unlike the current cabinet which comprises mainly technocrats, the new cabinet, Sunday Independent was reliably informed, would be made up of shrewd politicians who know how to “play dirty politics” and ensure that the President faced little resistance in securing his party’s endorsement for a second-term.

Like the situation in Rivers State where the Minister of State for Education, NyesomWike, is currently battling to supplant Governor Chibuike Amaechi as leader of the PDP in Rivers, the source said the new ministers would be expected to play such roles.

The source noted that the new ministers would come from some of the PDP-controlled states where their governors constitute major stumbling block against the Presidency in its quest for 2015.

Some of these governors are Amaechi of Rivers State, Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State, Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State, MurtalaNyako of Adamawa State, Saidu Nasamu Dakingari of Kebbi State and Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State.

Already, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) has suspended two of these governors.

According to the party’s highest decision-making body, it suspended Amaechi for disobeying a “lawful directive” of the Felix Obuah-led Rivers State PDP, believed to be loyal to Wike. Wamakko was given the boot for alleged disrespect to the National Chairman of PDP, BamangaTukur.

Sunday Independent also learnt from the source that more PDP governors still face suspension, as the Presidency moves to consolidate its total grip on the party.  But a more permanent solution, according to feelers, is the option of bringing political tacticians as ministers who will curb the powers of governors.

The source said the move became necessary following the turn of events at the election of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF). The Presidency was believed to have endorsed Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State as its candidate for the NGF election. It was stunned when some PDP governors went ahead to vote for Amaechi.

The Presidency, according to the source, reached the conclusion that if PDP governors were not checkmated, they could pull a surprise for it in 2015.

“That is why the new ministers would not be technocrats. They are going to be ‘real’ politicians who would be expected to take control of the party’s machinery in their various states,” the source said.

Source: Daily Independent