By Tom Garba
Nigerians are anxiously waiting to see the formation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet. Who and who make the final list of ministers nominated from the thirty-six states, including Abuja, the federal capital is what is on the burning plate of his next line of action and the APC family.
The eager desires of Nigerians of Tinubu’s line of minister are much noticed by the people of Adamawa State, North East Nigeria, the Inlaw state of former President Muhammadu Buhari. The unique nature of Adamawa state in terms of human resources, with a growing of human capital development, mineral resources, and the unique beauty of over eighty clusters of ethnic nationalities is the biggest beauty the state holds. One of the reasons it is called “Land of Beauty.”
Many people in the state are so much interested in who made it to the final of Tinubu’s ministerial list for obvious reasons that the state has had Buhari’s share of bad administration of allowing crisis to rock down the All Progressives Congress (APC) family and failed to have the full dosage of eight years tenure, which by now it would have become a grown party having a consolidated and unshakable strength. This would have made the party a flying horse with the horn of a unicorn. Many people in Adamawa appeared to be more desperate to know who represent them as a minister considering the experience with the minister slot of the state under Buhari’s regime was more of a state with minister representative .
Muhammed Musa Bello was Buhari’s cabinet member from Adamawa who had eight years uninterrupted ministerial slot of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) but the complaint against him was his adamant nature of not “helping people “, especially the politicians who worked toes and nails to make sure Buhari wins election in 2015 and 2019. Though a good Man, with a high sense of humor and open door policy, but to politicians in the state his seat was not beneficial to them in any way judging from the past FCT Minister right from JT Useni, Adamu Alero, Aliyu Modibbo Ahmed, Muhammed Bala, etc who have helped people and supported many politicians. To many, Bello’s nonchalant attitude towards people in the state was an added salt to the injury of the party suffering from the break in transmission of a supposed eight years. It was abruptly scuttled down to four years because of lack of party unity and Buhari’s leadership ability to wade off the party crisis to the party’s unity of purpose.
This is one of the reasons Adamawa people eagerly and anxiously waiting to know the Man or woman nominated to be the minister from their state. Their desire for the minister is to get someone who can politically balance up the huge gap created in the last eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari. The last eight years have never been palatable to the APC family in Adamawa State and their wishes this time around is to have a politically fit Minister , morally okay Man, and mentally well to do Man or woman that can work in the interest of the state and capable enough to reconcile all warring factions.
The ministerial slot for Adamawa it’s seen as a keenly contested seat by many APC members who are all qualified to hold the position. Names of notable politicians like Rt Hon Bala James Ngilari, Sen Grace F Jackson Bent, Chief Sunny Moniedafe, Senator Abubakar Ahmed Moallayidi, Engr Samaila Aliyu Numan, Sen Binta Masi Garba, Dr. Modi Halilu, Professor Mamman Tahir, Senator Jonathan Zwingina, and Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani are mentioned in one platforms or the other of their desires to be given the slot. And they are all scheming their ways to be considered for the office.
Going by what is trending in many social media platforms, one will conclude that President Tinubu has picked the APC Governorship candidate, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani with a portfolio of minister of women affairs. The social media list with all the minister nominees from each state has been an issue of debate on many of the platforms. The argument for or against is more so that Tinubu’s Senior special assistant on media, Dele Alake refuted that the ministerial list is not ready.
Ready or not, it is certainly going to be with passage of time no matter how long it tarries. To any concerned Adamawa APC Man, they are looking for someone that Tinubu will rely on to recollect the state from the claws of PDP leadership which they believe is their mandate taken by the opposition who leverage on the in-house fight.
The question is who is Tinubu going to appoint as the next minister from Adamawa state that will further not plunder the party into crisis? Before now, the party building into the 2023 elections was embroiled in a deep crisis that has lingered on to the party’s primaries. Interest and intriguing politics of primordial sentiments have crippled the party to almost stand alone without a shepherd. Binani being the governorship candidate went to the polls as a political orphan with only a few senior members backing her up to campaign grounds because of deep animosity that has eaten deep to the party fabric of unity.
Who is the Minister that will heal the many wounds of senior and junior party members? It is not a gain saying or a blubber statement of pleasing the moment. Adamawa APC is having a perennial crisis and only Tinubu and the minister to appoint this time around will be able to broker peace, iodized the broken hearts and the unhealed wounds of many aggrieved party members.
It, therefore means that Mr. President must take decisions on Adamawa with an extra sense of wisdom. He must consult widely and appropriately about who will be the next minister from Adamawa. For obvious reasons and history, Adamawa state is a microcosm of a larger Nigeria. The only state in the north that has elites in quantum that can alter the cause of Nigerian history. It is on record, Adamawa remains the only state that always has one of theirs close to the government at the center stage. The President has to use wisdom in getting the minister from Adamawa state else that singular decision of his may jeopardize his government and the party at large.
Tom Garba, FIMC, FBDFM, SPSP, is a Journalist, political analyst, and an opinion writer. He writes from Yola-Adamawa State and can be reached through tomgarba5@gmail.com or 08172570959
