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Senator Abaribe critiques President Tinubu’s cabinet reshuffle, calls for fairness to South-East
Removing one South-East minister only to replace her doesn’t feel like progress… The Igbos want fairness and equity, which are enshrined in the constitution. Treat us as you are treating everybody else.”
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South, has sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu’s recent cabinet reshuffle, accusing the administration of showing “renewed shege” (suffering) to the people of the South-East.
His remarks followed the appointment of Bianca Ojukwu as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs amid significant changes to the cabinet.
Earlier this week, President Tinubu announced through his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, the merging, creation, and dissolution of several ministries.
The reshuffle involved the dismissal of five ministers, the appointment of seven new ones, and the reassignment of ten others.
Notably, Uju-Ken Ohanenye, the former Minister of Women Affairs from the South-East, was among those removed.
In a recent interview, Senator Abaribe expressed discontent with the reshuffle, stating, “For my constituents, nothing has changed.
They don’t refer to it as ‘Renewed Hope’ but rather as ‘Renewed Shege.’
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Removing one South-East minister only to replace her doesn’t feel like progress.”
He further claimed that President Tinubu has breached constitutional provisions regarding federal representation, emphasizing that the reshuffled cabinet fails to reflect the principle of federal character.
“We thought that with these changes, maybe there would be some adjustments that would also soothe the concerns of the South-East people,” Abaribe stated.
“The Igbos want fairness and equity, which are enshrined in the constitution. Treat us as you are treating everybody else,” he added, stressing the South-East’s demand for equitable representation in government.
As the fallout from the cabinet reshuffle continues, the sentiments expressed by Senator Abaribe highlight the ongoing tension regarding regional representation in Nigeria’s political landscape.