Nigeria: Disgruntled PDP Elements Behind Cabinet Shake-Up Rumour – Presidency

The rumour making the rounds of an impending cabinet reshuffle by President Goodluck Jonathan is the machination of a powerful political force within the ruling Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) working for the removal of some key ministers in the government, the Presidency alleged yesterday.

The political bloc, comprising members of the PDP, working in tandem with some opposition elements were said to have targeted ministers considered as key players and who are responsible for the successes recorded in the economic structure of the Jonathan administration.

The ministers are those of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed; Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke; Niger-Delta, Elder Godsday Peter Orubebe; Information, Labaran Maku; Labour, Emeka Wogu; Interior, Abba Moro; as well as the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike and his Agriculture counterpart, Akinwunmi Adesina.

A highly placed Presidency source told LEADERSHIP on anonymity, that the political group were particular about Mohammed and Allison-Madueke "who they see as major threats to their 2015 political ambition and are mobilising public anger against them with a view to discrediting an emerging political base of President Jonathan, who pessimists had thought lacked the ability to survive the ongoing political warfare against him."

The source said, "Beside being seen as the most loyal crop of cabinet members in the Jonathan government, the opposition group, which has some converts within the ruling party also believe that the ministers are partly responsible for the visible progress and successes so far recorded by President Jonathan.

"The prime target of this group of powerful opposition is the FCT minister. Given that he hails from the north, these political enemies are worried that despite entreaties not to return to the Jonathan's government, Bala has remained loyal and committed to the political ideals of his principal, the president.

"Since moving that historic doctrine of necessity, they have not forgiving him. If you know what they have done to his image because of his continued closeness to Mr. President, you will weep for him. Our people believed that having served as FCT minister, the second most important ministry in Nigeria, next to petroleum, for two years, he should have resigned and returned to his political roots, which brought him to the senate in the first place, before he joined the PDP and the Jonathan government".

He added that some people are specifically afraid that Bala's stabilisation and growing influence in the North, if not checked, could turn out to be another strong weapon in the hands of the president to actualise his second term ambition if he eventually makes up his mind to run in 215.

The game plan of labelling the FCT minister as being "anti-north," according to the source, "was adopted by those who wanted him out of the Jonathan government. Hence, they choose to use various means to tag the petroleum minister and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr Austin Oniwon as being corrupt.

"This was their (opposition) game plans, but one of them who also works for us revealed their secret. And in order not to create an environment of disloyalty and a possible feeling of dissent among the ministers, Oga (President) decided to come out clear that embarking on a cabinet reshuffle was not his immediate priority.

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Nigeria: Disgruntled PDP Elements Behind Cabinet Shake-Up Rumour - Presidency