There is growing apprehension and anxiety within the All Progressives Congress (APC) as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State prepares to reveal and forward the final list of his commissioner-nominees to the state House of Assembly for consideration and approval. The process leading to the finalization of the list involved various permutations, horse-trading, and adjustments.
The move aligns with the Fifth Alteration (No.23) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, which stipulates that Presidents and Governors must submit the names of their nominated Ministers or Commissioners within 60 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly.
Governor Sanwo-Olu had previously appointed 38 aides, including 21 commissioners and 17 special advisers, in his first term. However, in compliance with constitutional provisions, he dissolved the state executive cabinet and all other aides in May 2023.
Recently, the Governor made some initial appointments of principal aides for his second term, including re-appointing Tayo Ayinde and Gboyega Soyannwo to their former positions as Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff, respectively. Barrister Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin was appointed as the new Secretary to the State Government (SSG), succeeding Folashade Jaji.
Governor Sanwo-Olu is now set to submit the list of commissioner-nominees to the Lagos State House of Assembly for review and approval. The delay in releasing the Ministerial list by President Bola Tinubu has been a contributing factor to the postponement of the Lagos State list.
The gender-sensitive list reportedly includes former aides based on their past performance and roles during the last general elections, while a smaller percentage is allocated to new entrants who are technocrats and active party members. Influential traditional rulers in the state have also been approached to advocate for certain nominees to the party leadership and the governor.
The Governor and his Deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, have held a closed-door interactive session with many of the nominees to assess their understanding and vision of key development agendas for the state.
The final list of commissioner-nominees will be decided by the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the APC in the state, under the leadership of Tajudeen Olusi, an elder statesman and ally of Bola Tinubu.
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