S’E 5, N’West 10
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
A critical look at the list of ministerial nominees of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has further exposed the endemic marginalisation and political exclusion of the South-East geopolitical zone by the Federal Government.
Analysis of the list by Ikengaonline revealed that the South-East got the least slots of only five nominees with each state in the zone being represented by one nominee while the North-West got 10 slots the highest so far.
South-West got nine slots while the remaining geopolitical zones – North-East, North-Central, and South-South got eight slots each.
The five nominees who made the list from South-East include: Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha – Abia; Uju Kennedy Ohaneye – Anambra; Uche Nnaji – Enugu; Doris Aniche Uzoka – Imo; and Senator David Umahi – Ebonyi.
Interestingly, perhaps for the first time, females had the upper hand among the South-East nominees numbering three against two males.
Nominees from North-West (10) include: Badaru Abubakar – Jigawa; Nasiru Ahmed El-Rufai – Kaduna Dr. Mariya Mahmoud Mairiga- Kano; Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo – Kano; Ahmed Dangiwa – Katsina; Hannatu Musawa – Katsina.
Others from the North West are Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu – Kebbi; Atiku Bagudu – Kebbi; Bello Muhammad Goronyo – Sokoto and Bello Matawalle – Zamfara.
The nine nominees from South-West include: Dele Alake – Ekiti; Tunji Alausa – Lagos; Lola Ade John – Lagos; Olawale Edun – Ogun;Dr.Ishak Salako – Ogun; Dr. Bosun Tijjani – Ogun; Olubunmi Tunji Ojo – Ondo; Adegboyega Oyetola – Osun; and Waheed Adebayo Adelabu – Oyo.
Eight of the nominees from South-South are Ekperikpe Ekpo – Akwa Ibom; Sen. Heineken Lolokpobri – Bayelsa; Betta Edu – Cross River; John Enoh – Cross River; Stella Okotete – Delta; Abubakar Momoh – Edo; Nyesom Wike – Rivers and Festus Keyamo- Delta.
Similarly, the eight slots for North-East went to Prof. Tahir Mamman – Adamawa; Yusuf Maitama Tuggar – Bauchi; Ali Pate –Bauchi; Abubakar Kyari – Borno Sen. Alkali Ahmed Saidu – Gombe; Sani Abubakar Danladi – Taraba; Uba Maigari Ahmadu – Taraba and Sen. Ibrahim Geidam – Yobe.
The remaining eight slots for North-Central were shared among Zaphaniah Bitrus Jisalo – FCT; Prof. Joseph Utsev – Benue; Shuaibu Abubakar Audu – Kogi; Lateef Fagbemi – Kwara; Iman Suleiman Ibrahim – Nasarawa; Sen. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi – Niger; Muhammad Idris – Niger; and Simon Dalong – Plateau .
