President Muhammadu Buhari has allegedly shunned inputs from governors and national assembly members, who are godfathers in their states, as he puts together his cabinet members, who are to be made public later this month.
The governor and NASS members have had difficulty in accessing the president so as to have their loyalists nominated as ministers, according to The Nation.
Buhari has insisted on merit, even as some governors and NASS members attempt to recommend some nominees.
The jostle for ministerial ticket has however assumed a hot race in Kwara, Sokoto, Gombe, Enugu, Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, Katsina, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, and Bauchi.
The national daily reports that apart from deference to party supremacy, President Buhari has largely been his own man in appointing members of his cabinet.
The report indicates that Buhari may not accept imposition of nominees on him by some leaders of the National Assembly, following the principle of Separation of Powers.
The discipline being employed by the president in choosing his cabinet members accounted for the delay in appointing commissioners in some states.
It was gathered that the governors prefer to compensate their loyalists, who may be schemed out of ministerial slots, as commissioners.
A source told the newspaper, “Unlike in the past, most governors are stranded this because the president will not ask them to nominate ministers. Some of them attempted to make recommendations but did not succeed.
“In fact, the same game is playing out with influential Senators who have found it difficult to lobby for their candidates as ministerial nominees.
“Buhari is trying to be his own man as far as the choice of ministers is concerned. The only thing he reckons with is party supremacy. He also wants to adhere to constitutional provision on the appointment of ministers.
“The governors could not have their way because Buhari has refused to ask for any office slot or favour from any governor, including his own governor, Aminu Masari of Katsina State.”
Some godfathers in the affected states were said to be panicking because of recent political developments in the country, especially in the National Assembly.
“Those who have no respect for party supremacy cannot recommend or nominate ministers. Respect begets respect.
“This is why the president is looking for credible hands whom they cannot disqualify under a flimsy excuse or the other,” another source told the national daily.