The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is widely perceived to have successfully frustrated the ministerial appointment of former Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State by President Muhammadu Buhari. Ambode’s name was missing in the ministerial nomination list President Buhari transmitted to the Senate o for confirmation on Tuesday.
However, former Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State was returned in the new appointment. Fashola was Minister of Power, Works and Housing in the first tenure of President Buhari 2015 to 2019.
The second nominee from Lagos State is Olorunimbe Mamora, a former senator from Lagos State, and the Managing Director of Nigeria inland Waterways.
Before now, there were insinuations that the APC national leader, Tinubu, was determined to obstruct any decision by President Buhari offer Ambode ministerial appointment in his bid to reduce the former Lagos governor to political rubbles and get him out of the system.
Party sources toldNational Daily that President Buhari had read the trend and resolved to avoid anything that will stimulate conflicts at the highest echelon of the APC leadership in his decision to drop Ambode from the ministerial appointment.
Presidency sources, however, disclosed that all is not lost; adding that Ambode may make other appointments which may include ambassadorial appointments.