[size=14pt]Jonathan rebuffs PDP on selection of new ministers [/size]
Tuesday, 23 March 2010 01:22 Badejo Ademuyiwa & Horatius Egua .User Rating: / 0

•May send list to Senate today •Ishola Williams may get nod on INEC

Acting President Goodluck Jonathan is strongly believed to be resisting pressure from the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to allow it nominate persons to join the new cabinet in the works in Aso Rock. BusinessDay gathered that Jonathan is doing this with the tacit support of the leadership of the National Assembly which is disposed towards allowing the acting president pick his team to chart a new course for the country. Presidency sources disclosed on Monday that the new ministerial list had been finalised and may be forwarded to the Senate before the end of today for approval.

“The nominees have sailed through security screening so the list will definitely go to the Senate by today or tomorrow,” one of the presidency sources said, asking not to be identified.

“The Senate has given assurances that they will expedite action on the confirmation of the nominees so we expect the confirmation process also to start this week,” the source said.

An indication to the readiness of the ministerial list came with the dispatch of asset declaration forms to the former ministers thought to be about 21 that may return as well as new nominees for the statutory requirement. Dependable presidency sources told BusinessDay on Monday that the PDP hierarchy led by Vincent Ogbulafor, chairman of the party, had since the dissolution of the cabinet last week been putting pressure on Jonathan to allow the party have a say in who joins the new cabinet.

Ogbulafor had since last Thursday held more than three consultations with the acting president in a bid to have him listen to the party in deciding who is nominated as minister. In apparent acknowledgment that it may have failed to impress Jonathan, the PDP last night shifted its national executive council meeting from March 25 to April 8.
Jonathan

After one of the meetings, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the PDP chairman had told State House correspondents that Jonathan consulted with the party before the dissolution of the cabinet, a statement seen as a face saving strategy as the acting president is thought to have consulted the party.

“The PDP chairman has been here in the Villa for up to five times since the cabinet was dissolved last week. The leadership of the party wants the whole thing to be business as usual but Jonathan is insisting that he wants to select those who he can work with and who can also deliver the dividends of democracy to the electorate within the short period of time,” one of the sources said.

Ogbulafor seems to be battling for relevance as he lobbied to get a nominee from Abia central where he comes from. If he succeeds, Maduekwe who is from Abia North may be dropped from the returnees’ list. The presidency, it was gathered, may not be inclined towards having two ministers from same state, situation that could see Shamsudeen Usman being dropped for Mansur Muhtar, both of who come from Kano State.

Among those that may make the list are Timi Alaibe, former managing director, Niger Delta Development Corporation (NDDC) who will likely be in charge of the Niger Delta ministry; Andrew Azazi, immediate past chief of defence staff (CDS) and Mike Oghiadomhe, principal private secretary to Jonathan,

The returnee ministers may include Dora Akunyili, Mansur Muhtar, Remi Babalola, Kayode Adetokunbo, Ojo Maduekwe, Diezani Alison-Madueke, and Godswill Orubebe among others.

BusinessDay also gathered that in the race to appoint a successor to Maurice Iwu whose term as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) expires in May, Ishola Williams may get the nod ahead of the three others - Atahiru Jega, Jibo Ibrahim and Olisa Agbakoba.

Williams, a former army general and head of Transparency International in Nigeria, is seen as an upright man and non-politician who could prosecute transparent elections in the country.

Jonathan, sources said, may be swayed by Williams’ credentials especially as he wants to leave a lasting legacy of being the one to conduct credible elections having been ruled out of 2011 contest.

http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9486:jonathan-rebuffs-pdp-on-selection-of-new-ministers&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18

I don't know what This Day means by "strongly believed". But if Jonathan rebuffs PDP once again, what happens to Ogbulafor? Down the line, what happens to PDP?

I hope Jonathan will be successful in dismanteling PDP's wicked influence. We have had enough of them. I think Jonathan will do what he wants because I'm sure he remembers how the PDP didn't even want him to become acting president. Also with the fact that Ogbulafor has stated that a northerner would hold the party ticket for 2011, so Jonathan has no reason to please him or the PDP leadership.