President Bola Tinubu’s long-anticipated cabinet reshuffle finally happened on Wednesday. There were no earth-shaking changes to the disappointment
President Bola Tinubu’s long-anticipated cabinet reshuffle finally happened on Wednesday.
There were no earth-shaking changes to the disappointment of many Nigerians. It however sent ripples across the political landscape — with a mix of strategic swaps, surprise exits, and bold firsts.
Promises of downsizing took a backseat, sparking debate about political priorities amid the current economic strain.
As Nigerians dissect the winners and losers of this reshuffle, here are seven notable takeaways fro the underwhelming cabinet reshuffle.
Among the new faces is Nentawe Yilwatda, appointed to replace Betta Edu, who was suspended in January as the minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction. Edu who at 37, was the youngest minister when she was appointed in 2023 was temporarily let off following an alleged diversion of N585 million meant for vulnerable persons. Although Edu vanished from public glare, she sent a condolence message to victims of the Jos building collapse in July using the ministry’s letterhead. This stirred speculations that she might have been secretly let off the hook. Yilwatda’s appointment has silenced the whispers and uncertainties. It should be noted though that officially, Edu is still on suspension. The report of the probe panel has not been made public, neither has her fate been officially announced. We can only assume she is gone for good.
In a surprise, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, a member of the All-Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), was designated as minister of state for foreign affairs. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, her late husband, was the moving spirit of APGA in Anambra state. Some see this as a slap in the face for the All-Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. She was also an appointee under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government, serving as Nigeria’s ambassador to Ghana and Spain and Togo. She was the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 1988, Miss Africa 1988 and Miss Intercontinental 1989. Her father, late CC Onoh, was the governor of the old Anambra state from October 1 to December 31, 1983. Recall that in 2022, Bianca famously slapped the wife of Willy Obiano, former governor of Anambra state, at a public event.
3. THE RETURN OF SUNDAY DARE
The former minister of youth and sports development, Sunday Dare, is back — this time as a presidential adviser serving in the office of a minister. He was named special adviser to the president on public communication and orientation and will work from the ministry of information and national orientation. He was executive commissioner, stakeholder management, at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) from 2016 to 2019. He currently owns a football club and a radio station. Dare, an accomplished journalist, was once head of Hausa service, Voice of America (VOA). He was Tinubu’s chief of staff and media adviser until 2016. He was also the senior special assistant (media) to the late Dora Akunyili, minister of information and communications, in 2009.
5. OGUN AGAIN?
Young students are currently celebrating the exit of Tahir Mamman as minster of education. He fought tooth and nail to get Under 18s banned from sitting for university admission exams. Mamman was director general of the Nigerian Law School for eight years before he was appointed minister.
6. ‘DISCHARGED’ IS THE NEW ‘DROPPED’
Although the media went with the headline of ‘Tinubu sacks 5 ministers’, the word used in the official announcement was “discharged” — very similar to what the military uses when it disengages soldiers. But those expecting Tinubu to cut the size of his cabinet were also “discharged”. Five ministers were sacked and seven were appointed. That’s an addition to the cabinet, but since Simon Lalong resigned and (we assume) Edu is finally gone, we are still back to the 47-strong cabinet. Nothing gained, nothing lost.
The sacked ministers
