Since ‘power has changed hands’ unofficially a few
days ago, it is certain that a lot of things in the
political terrain of Nigeria will also change.
In this piece, The Punch’s Olalekan Adetayo and
Eniola Akinkuotu write on the influential personalities
who will be greatly affected by President Goodluck
Jonathan’s exit from power. Here are 10 power
brokers whose level of influence will drastically
reduce the moment Rtd. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari
officially comes to power on May 29.
1. Mrs. Patience Jonathan
Patience Jonathan
Mrs. Patience Jonathan is the wife of the President.
Like wives of Presidents before her, she runs the
Office of the First Lady with glamor despite the fact
that the office is not recognized in the nation’s
constitution. So powerful is the woman who prefers
to be called Mama Peace that she was also elected
the President of the African First Ladies Mission, a
body of wives of Presidents across the continent.
She also founded a non-governmental organization,
Women for Change, which has the mandate of
empowering women nationwide.
The influence she wields cannot be measured. Her
hands seem to be on everything. She is believed to
be the unseen hand behind the travail of a former
Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, which
denied him a second term ticket. The former
governor was made uncomfortable in the Peoples
Democratic Party until he left to join the All
Progressives congress.
They replaced Sylva with Governor Seriake
Dickson. The current governor tried hard to please
the President’s wife to the extent that she was
made a Permanent Secretary in the state. The
honeymoon, however, did not last. Dickson also ran
into troubled water with the woman who is said to
have pencilled down the Special Assistant to the
President on Domestic Matters, Dr. Wariponmowei
Dudafa, as the next governor. She has since
resigned her appointment from the state job.
It is also a known fact the problem between the
President and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers
State which forced the governor out of the PDP
started with a disagreement he had with Mrs.
Jonathan over the demolition of some houses in
Okrika, the ancestral home of the President’s wife.
To get something in this government, you must be
in the good books of Mrs. Jonathan. That is why
government officials and their spouses bow and
tremble before her.
2. Senator Pius Anyim
Senator Pius Anyim
Anyim is the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation. By virtue of his position, he is a big man
(not about his stature) in the cabinet. He
coordinates the activities of ministers. Because of
his closeness to the President, the former President
of the Senate wields huge influence. He was
accused of providing cover for the former Minister
of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah, when she was facing
fire over the two bulletproof BMW cars bought for
her. To avoid journalists, Oduah was on many
occasions driven out of the Presidential Villa after
weekly Federal Executive Council meetings in
Anyim’s official car.
3. Diezani Alison-Madueke
Diezani Alison-Madueke
Alison-Madueke is the Minister of Petroleum
Resources. To say that she is one of the most
influential ministers in Jonathan’s cabinet is an
understatement. She is very powerful. She is one of
the few ministers who are driven straight into the
forecourt of the President’s office through the
Service Chiefs’ Gate. Others always walk a distance
of about 300 metres from where their official cars
are parked to the President’s office.
The minister was recently elected the first female
President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting
Countries. Three weeks after, she was also
appointed the first female President of the Gas
Exporting Countries Forum.
So powerful is she that she dragged the House of
Representatives to court to stop the House from
probing her for allegedly spending N10bn on the
charter and maintenance of a jet for unofficial
purposes. The Presidency remained quiet over the
issue. Alison-Madueke is no doubt a super minister
in Jonathan’s cabinet.
4. Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Finance Minister Okonjo-Iweala
Okonjo-Iweala is the Minister of Finance. Jonathan
elevated her slightly below the Vice-President when
he named her the Coordinating Minister for the
Economy.

During a typical FEC meeting, ministers mill around
the woman because of the kind of influence she
wields in the cabinet. They consult her before
presenting any memo to the council since they
would need money to finance them. Many Nigerians
call Okonjo-Iweala the nation’s de facto Prime
Minister.
5. Governor Godswill Akpabio
Governor Goodswill Akpabio
Akpabio is the Akwa Ibom State Governor. He is
also the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum.
Without any fear of contradiction, he can be said to
be the closest governor to the President.
The governor supports Jonathan to a fault. The PDP
Governors’ Forum that he chairs was formed to
solely drum support for Jonathan in the face of
continued friction between the Presidency and the
Rotimi Amaechi-led Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
He is also one of the governors who formed the
parallel NGF being led by Governor Jonah Jang of
Plateau State. In supporting Jonathan vehemently,
however, Akpabio had unknowingly been enlisting
more enemies for the President.
6. Chief Edwin Clark
Chief Edwin Clark
Clark is not a government official but he wields the
influence that is more than what a government
official can do. He sees and carries himself like the
President’s father.
The residence of the First Republic Minister of
Information is like Mecca. Those in search of
government jobs or contracts visit him regularly
while government officials who want to remain in
the President’s good book also lay siege to Clark’s
house. He is one of those who held the belief that
Jonathan must be re-elected or we should all forget
about what is called Nigeria.
7. Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu
Mu’azu is the National Chairman of the PDP.
Popularly called “the game changer,” Muazu took
over the office when the PDP governors moved
against the then chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.
By virtue of that position, the former governor of
Bauchi State is very influential in and outside the
government. He has inputs in many of
government’s decisions. With his party losing
control of the Federal Government as well as its
waning popularity in Bauchi, Mu’azu may be idle
politically for the next four years.
8. Tompolo
Tompolo
For former Niger Delta militant, Government
Ekpemupolo, otherwise known as Tompolo, power
will not remain the same after May 29 when Buhari
takes over government.
In 2009, he was declared the most wanted man in
Nigeria by the Joint Task Force for allegedly killing
11 soldiers but his story has since changed
following the amnesty he received from President
Umaru Yar’Adua and his closeness to Jonathan.
So powerful is the ex-militant that not only did he
ensure that his younger brother was made a local
government chairman in Delta State, he reportedly
nominated the current Director-General of the
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety
Agency, Ziadeke Akpobolokemi.
NIMASA awarded a N15bn contract to Global West
Vessel Specialist Limited, a firm widely believed to
be owned by Tompolo, to supply 20 vessels for the
use of the nation’s military authorities to secure the
waterways.
So powerful he is that he even stopped the
President from going to Delta State to inaugurate
the Export Processing Zone following a
misunderstanding with Itsekiri leaders. He
reportedly influenced Jonathan to sack a Minister of
Transport, Yusuf Suleiman, following a
disagreement. With Jonathan’s imminent exit from
Aso Rock, Tompolo’s influence will definitely
decline.
9. Senator David Mark
David Mark
Although he has made history by becoming the first
senator to win a fifth term, Mark’s influence will
wane in the 8th National Assembly.
Mark, who is also the nation’s longest serving
Senate president, cannot retain his seat since the
All Progressives Congress now controls the Upper
Chamber of the National Assembly. At best, Mark
can be made the minority leader.
Mark made life easy for Jonathan throughout the
President’s tenure and defended the President even
to a fault. He came under fire recently when he
reportedly manipulated the screening process that
ensured Senator Musiliu Obanikoro − who was
accused of rigging the Ekiti State governorship
election − was confirmed a minister.
Besides getting Obanikoro confirmed, Mark has
never blocked any of Jonathan’s ministerial
nominations. Last year, he convinced his colleagues
not to pass a vote of no confidence in Jonathan
over the President’s failure to curb insecurity. In
November last year, he foiled a move by some
senators to impeach Jonathan.
In return, Jonathan gave him several benefits
including the nomination of some ministers in his
cabinet. Jonathan’s defeat and the waning power of
the PDP in the senate has certainly relegated Mark
to the background.
10. Chief Tony Anenih
Chief Tony Anenih
Anenih is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of
the PDP. He took over from former President
Olusegun Obasanjo who resigned from office
because of some anomalies he noticed in the
running of the party.
The former Minister of Works who hails from the
South-South, the same geopolitical zone with the
President, has never hidden his support for
Jonathan.
Long ago, it was Anenih who first said it publicly that
the President should be given an offer of first
refusal as far as the party’s presidential candidacy
is concerned. He wields no small influence in the
Presidency.

Not Mama Peace o

FFK n okupe,abati
Fayose

Do a list of the 10 who will gain power with APR at the helm. Make sure you don't leave out all the ex-PDP officials like Obasanjo, Amaechi, Atul etc

The indomie okupe! Wow didnt jonathan think people; no matter how rich or influential he make them, they only owe him 1 vote each... Smh... Dey might all loose influence but mama peace is a self made woman, only her statement from bayelsa will crack every nigerians rib

In 2011, Mr Godwin Abiodun did a change of name to Mr. Goodluck Abiodun. In 2014, Mr. Goodluck Abiodun's daughter was kidnapped in Adamawa. He changed his name again to the opposite of Goodluck.

When asked why, Mr Badluck Abiodun said, "Badluck is better than Goodluck. If Goodluck cannot locate my daughter, I Badluck will locate her myself."

My ppl, see what Goodluck Jonathan had done to that good name 'GOODLUCK'
OTUOKE IS THE ONLY REVENGE!!!! SAI OTUOKE!!!

TopLink847:
[size=25pt]Are you interested in meeting a Sugar Mummy or Sugar Daddy that can help you financially?

We can get you connected anywhere around Nigeria.

⇨⇨⇨⇨ Call us on 0⑧0③⑧⑥②⑧④④⑦ ⇦⇦⇦⇦[/size]

goood post

Make we dey watch