Date: 2015-05-09

In a desperate bid to make the list in the new cabinet of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State when he takes oath for the second term on May 29, some political office holders have continued to lay ambush on the state leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, in Abuja to fine tune their ambition, The Herald can report.

Reports reaching our reporter from Abuja indicated that both serving Commissioners who might be swept away in the impending cabinet dissolution anytime from now  and politicians seeking to be appointed into the cabinet have virtually relocated to the nation’s capital to actualise their bid.

According to sources, some of the office seekers also planned to pursue their mission to the Holy land to meet Governor Ahmed when he jets out on lesser hajj before the second term inauguration day.

It was learnt that apart from outgoing office holders seeking re-appointment, the prospective new comers have also sought the help of Muslim and top  APC chieftains in the state to prevail on the political leader to consider them in the incoming cabinet.

The Herald gathered that Saraki’s residence became mecca of sort as soon as news filtered in that the incumbent cabinet might be dissolved soon.

The sack fever generated by the report of cabinet dissolution had relatively intensified, further findings revealed.

“For quite some time now, we have been receiving unusual visitors most especially from the state (Kwara). Among them were political office holders and APC chieftains who came to visit the leader on issues that affect them. Although I can’t say actually what they discussed with our leader behind closed doors,  certainly it is not unconnected with appointment and re-appointment.

“In the couple of days, we would still receive a number of people that would come here to seek one favour or the other. The first tenure of Governor Ahmed is coming to an end soon, and our people like Oliver twist, would want to meander their ways in making the list of the new cabinet members.

“Some of the commissioners that wanted to come back are not leaving anything to chance. We have being seeing them around. Some even wanted to remain in Abuja so that when the leader gets the senate president seat, it would be easy for them to be part of our team”, one of the sources said.

The Herald recalls that Governor Ahmed, while receiving some APC stalwarts on a congratulatory visit on his declaration as governor-elect for second term, indicated that fresh blood would be injected in his incoming cabinet.

The statement practically sent jitters down the spine of top political appointees in the state who believed they would be affected in the looming tsunami in the cabinet of the state government.

Many of the office holders had kept mute in anticipation of where the pendulum would swing over the dissolution.

It was learnt that the governor would have dissolved the cabinet during the week as initially planned but decided to tarry awhile.

A newspaper (not The Herald) had reported that the state cabinet would be formally dissolved by May 6.

A source told our reporter that Governor Ahmed planned to institute a cabinet that would be economic-driven as part of moves to reposition the state in the face of the dwindling resources occasioned by allocation drop from the federation purse.