Date: 2014-06-09

Barring any last minute change by the presidency, the vacant ministerial portfolio vacated by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi is expected to be filled in a matter of weeks,National Pilot can exclusively report.

The expected replacement is a certain Dr Mustapha Abubakar, a lecturer at the University of Abuja who is reportedly enjoying the backing of Bola Shagaya.

Last week in an exclusive telephone chat with the Kwara PDP chairman, Akogun Oyewepo in Abuja on the four new ministerial nominees by President Jonathan, he said there was no division as regard the issue of the ministerial appointee adding that one person had been nominated.

“We have forwarded a name, something has to be cleared before the announcement and if our own is not announced today, it can be announced tomorrow”, he submitted.

Highly placed party sources said though the would-be minister designate is not a card carrying member of the party, he has recently visited the state where he distributed undisclosed amount of money to party members at Ajikoba were he hails from.

The non appointment of a minister to fill the Kwara slot at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had been trailed by massive criticism in the political circles in the state with the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) accusing the PDP of shortchanging the state because of intra-party wrangling.

The issue of who eventually emerged as Abdullahi’s replacement had witnessed heavy politicking among party bigwigs.

Power horses in the party like Bola Shagaya, Gbemi Saraki, Oba AbdulRaheem and Dele Belgore, among others, had reportedly being involved in ground moves to outwit one another to pave way for their preferred candidates.

The PDP, since the issue dominated media space, had given the contenders the permission to pursue the slot at the Presidency without official endorsement from the state chapter of the party.

The party’s decision, according to its Publicity Secretary, Chief Kola Rex Olawoye, was to promote intra-party democracy adding that whoever picks the ticket eventually, will enjoy the total support of the party.

On the choice of Abubakar, highly placed PDP sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said the calculation is that those traditional gladiators who have indicated strong interest in the gubernatorial race come 2015 in the state might not be disposed to ministerial appointment this time around.

“You know there is the issue of less than a year to go for any ministerial appointee now and anybody appointed might find the opportunity of a governorship ticket difficult, the source added.

There have been differing accounts in the party’s circle on the ministerial list and its content submitted to the presidency.

Reacting to the issue of the non appointment of anybody to fill the state’s slots on the names of candidates nominated and forwarded to the senate last week for approval, Olawoye emphasised that the state is not shortchange and not appointing a minster from the Kwara the last time does not call for alarm.

Olawoye, who reiterated the party doesn’t have a ministerial list, said appointment of a minster is the prerogative of President Jonathan.

According to him, “We don’t have a list and the party is not involved in looking for minister for anybody. It is the prerogative of the President to appoint whoever he wants and they didn’t ask the party to submit any list. We feel okay by that and don’t want anything that will polarise us.

“Nominating ministers for other states without Kwara is not a crime since their positions didn’t become vacant at the same time. He (Jonathan) didn’t tell anybody when he appointed the ones he appointed the last time,

“We are operating a new concept in Kwara Politics which is strange to the system we met on ground and that is why you are hearing all the noise”, he added.