Cabinet shake-up: Only Tinubu knows who stays or goes – Bwala
Former spokesperson of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign, Daniel Bwala, has emphasised that only President Bola Tinubu has the authority to decide which ministers will remain in office and which will be replaced.
The Presidency on Wednesday stated that President Tinubu would soon rejig his cabinet, which confirmed Sunday PUNCH’s September 1 report that a cabinet shakeup was imminent.
This happened as presidential aides told The PUNCH that some ministers had started frantic lobbying to be in the President’s good books.
Meanwhile, speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Bwala dismissed speculations circulating about the reshuffle, stating that anyone claiming to know the fate of the ministers is merely guessing.
Bwala said, “The president is assessing whether some people believe in his administration because if they do, you will be a messenger of what you believe in. But as to who should go or stay is the prerogative of the president. Only the president knows who will go and who will stay. Anybody else who tells you they know is second-guessing or not being fair to themselves.”
The reshuffle, which has been confirmed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has no specific timeline yet.
Onanuga stated that Tinubu is set to make adjustments to his cabinet based on empirical public opinions and the performance of his ministers over the past year and four months in office.
Contrary to some public perceptions, Onanuga noted that Tinubu’s administration has achieved significant milestones in its quest to transform the economy, though many are unaware of these accomplishments.
Onanuga said, “I don’t have any timeline. The President has expressed his desire to reshuffle his cabinet and will do it. I don’t know whether he wants to do it before October 1, but he will surely do it.”
Meanwhile, the position of the Presidential Spokesperson, previously held by Ajuri Ngelale, remains vacant following Ngelale’s resignation for family reasons.
Bwala responding to rumours circulated about filling the role, said, “I am not aware of people tipping me for the job. I read things on social media, but every citizen should support the government in whatever way they can without necessarily waiting for an appointment.”
As the nation awaits the president’s final decisions, here is a list of the current ministers in Bola Tinubu’s cabinet:
Full List of Tinubu’s Ministers:
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security – Abubakar Kyari
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security – Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi
Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy – Hannatu Musawa
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development – Festus Keyamo
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning – Abubakar Atiku Bagudu
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy – Bosun Tijani
Minister of Defence – Mohammed Badaru Abubakar
Minister of State for Defence – Bello Matawalle
Minister of Education – Tahir Mamman
Minister of State for Education – Yusuf Sununu
Minister of Environment – Balarabe Abbas Lawal
Minister of State for Environment – Iziaq Adekunle Salako
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory – Nyesom Wike
Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory – Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy – Wale Edun
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Yusuf Tuggar
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare – Muhammad Ali Pate
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare – Tunji Alausa
Minister of Housing and Urban Development – Ahmed Musa Dangiwa
Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development – Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation – Betta Edu (Suspended since January 8, 2024)
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment – Doris Anite
Minister of Information and National Orientation – Mohammed Idris Malagi
Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology – Uche Nnaji
Minister of Interior – Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation – Lateef Fagbemi
Minister of Labour and Employment – Simon Lalong (Resigned on December 20, 2023)
Minister of State for Labour and Employment – Nkiruka Onyejeocha
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy – Gboyega Oyetola
Minister of Niger Delta Development – Abubakar Momoh
Minister of Petroleum Resources – President Bola Tinubu
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) – Heineken Lokpobiri
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) – Ekperikpe Ekpo
Minister of Police Affairs – Ibrahim Geidam
Minister of State for Police Affairs – Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim
Minister of Power – Adebayo Adelabu
Minister of Solid Minerals Development – Dele Alake
Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs – Zephaniah Jisalo
Minister of Sports Development – John Enoh
Minister of Steel Development – Shuaibu Audu
Minister of State for Steel Development – Uba Maigari Ahmadu
Minister of Tourism – Lola Ade-John
Minister of Transportation – Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation – Joseph Utsev
Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation – Bello Muhammad Goronyo
Minister of Women Affairs – Uju Kennedy
Minister of Works – Dave Umahi
Minister of Youth – Jamila Bio Ibrahim
Minister of State for Youth – Ayodele Olawande
