Jonathan Considers 36-Man Cabinet, Targets Technocrats

Chuks Okocha

13 May 2011

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has written to its 36 state chapters and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to submit 10 names each to be considered as ministers, special advisers and other federal government appointments in the in-coming government.

But in spite of this move, THISDAY learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan is planning a leaner cabinet by limiting ministerial appointments to the minimum of 36 prescribed by the Constitution.

Section 147 (3) of the 1999 Constitution states that the president shall appoint a minster from every state of the federation.

However, the practice since 1999 is that in addition to the 36 slots being filled, a provision was made to accommodate six more ministers on geo-political basis, thereby bloating the cabinet to 42.

“If it were possible for the president to appoint only 25 ministers without breaching the laws, he would do it,” a Presidency source told THISDAY Thursday night. “But in the meantime, he plans to appoint only 36 out of whom at least 30 per cent would be technocrats and not the regular politicians. From day one, he wants to set out running at full speed.”

The states were asked to forward the names of the nominees to the national secretariat of the PDP not later than May 15.

Thereafter, the names will be sent to the Presidential Advisory Council for consideration.

According to a member of the NWC who disclosed this to THISDAY, President Goodluck Jonathan will have the final say on the nominations.

THISDAY gathered that the letter requested for three nominees as potential ministers and asked that seven other nominees be included in the list for possible appointments into Board of Parastatals and other federal appointments.

Sources at PDP national secretariat said that the letter was dispatched to the states about a week ago, with Yobe State becoming the first to comply.

But the list from Yobe has caused a division within the state chapter of the party. The list forwarded to the National Secretariat was rejected because it was allegedly drawn singlehanded by its former state chairman, Abba Gana Tata, without inputs by other stakeholders in the state.

According to the source, Tata had resigned his office as the state chairman to contest the governorship election in which he eventually became the running mate to Alhaji Usman Albashir.

The NWC member said by the PDP constitution, the Yobe state chairman, having contested the governorship election, is assumed to have resigned and automatically lost his position as the state chairman of the party.

Article 14 (4) of the PDP Constitution makes it mandatory for anyone holding offices at the State or National Working Committee to relinquish such appointment whenever he shows interest in vying for an elective post either in the executive or legislative arm of government at any level.

It was learnt that when the letter from the National Secretariat requesting for nomination for federal appointments arrived Yobe State, Tata drew up the list and forwarded it to the national leadership without recourse to others in the state.

However, when the matter became public knowledge, members of the party in the state revolted and at a meeting of the State Working Committee held on May 9 pronounced Tata removed from office.

The decision of the state working committee was thereafter forwarded to the Yobe State PDP Executive Committee which also ratified the decision, and wrote the party national leadership to notify it of the decision so taken.

The State Executive Committee, in a protest letter to the Acting National Chairman of the Party, Bello Haliru Mohammed, signed by the state Secretary of the party, Adamu Abubakar Waziri, denounced Tata and asked the national leadership to discountenance any correspondence from Tata on behalf of the state chapter of the party.

In Edo state, the state chairman of PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, who signed the letters of the 10 nominees from the state, also forwarded his name and that of a former special adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere.

The names of the nominees from Edo State did not include the Minister of state for Works, Mr. Chris Ogiemwonyi. The president was asked to decide whether it is appropriate to include the name of a serving minister in the list.

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