Tinubu not under pressure to name cabinet – Alake
The Director of Strategic Communication of the All Progressives Congress Campaign Council, Mr Dele Alake, has denied reports that the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is under pressure to choose his cabinet, with just six weeks to his inauguration.
He also dismissed rumours that Tinubu travelled abroad for medical attention. Rather, he said Tinubu was following developments in the country and was working ahead.
He said Tinubu was in a relaxed mood, working with little or no distraction in Paris and not in a rush to return home.
He stated, “He is relaxing in France and out of the range of pressure. He is taking his time to do his thing. Despite being away for a while, we are always following the news and developments in the country,” he stated.
Meanwhile, mixed feelings have continued to surround reports that the President-elect might be seeking to include people from the opposition parties into his cabinet.
The tension became heightened when a former presidential aspirant on the APC platform, Nicolas Felix, disclosed on an Arise TV programme on April 4 that Tinubu would look beyond the party lines to choose his cabinet and ministers.
Felix was one of the foot soldiers of the president-elect during his campaign rallies in the South-South.
A source within the camp of the former Lagos State governor also corroborated Felix’s position, adding, “Asiwaju is a man who rewards loyalty, commitment and hard work”.
The source maintained that it would be strange for Tinubu to leave out people like the Senator Chimaroke Nnamani; Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and others who contributed to his victory without compensation.
The source said others who might have some of their men appointed in the new administration were former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who was said to have delivered his state for the APC in the presidential election.
The development is coming in the wake of reports that the president-elect, who is presently in Paris, France, may have started working on his ministerial nominees and other cabinet members with the aid of his trusted aides and close allies.
Among those reportedly working with him abode are the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Alake; the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Ajuri Ngelale; Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, and a few key members of the APC PCC.
