By Our Correspondent
As the consultations for the composition of the Federal Executive Council by the President elect Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu gathers momentum, top politicians have resorted to buying their way into prospective Ministerial and other juicy slots through some prominent traditional rulers from the South West.
Investigation from our Correspondent reveal that a sitting minister, a serving Senator, some Governorship Aspirants and other top politicians in the state have literally relocated to Lagos from where they have been reaching out to prominent Obas with large sums of money and other presents.
Our Correspondent gathers that the gifts are aimed at making the traditional rulers to put in good word for the persons to the President elect who is known to have very high regards for traditional institutions.
A source who is familiar with the intense lobbying told our Correspondent that, apart from the justle for Ministerial slots, “a former Governorship Aspirant is desperately trying to get the nomination as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and he is particularly not leaving anything to chance.
“I have also seen some other top politicians including a minister who also wants to retain his position in the new cabinet visiting some of the Obas. I learnt that they are in talks with the Obas to help them and talk to the Jagaban (the President elect) to consider them for various political offices especially as Minister and members of lucrative boards”.
At the home from in Jalingo, lobbying is also in high spirits with leaders of serious repute with the aim of getting their endorsement when it counts most.
Investigation reveal that one of the leading contenders for Ministerial slot is currently building a house for one of the leading Sheikhs in the state so as to secure his endorsement.
A source told our Correspondent that the Sheikh, who has the ears of the Vice President elect has also been given a huge contract by proxy and is enjoying unlimited largesse from most of the top contenders, especially those who are currently in government.
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress APC in Taraba State Alhaji Hassan Maiangwa told our Correspondent in a private chat that he feels bad that the President may make the same mistake that President Muhammadu Buhari made and end up giving appointments to those who have never done anything for the good of the party in the state.
“We are aware of intense lobbying going on in Abuja and Lagos. I gathered, though I can not confirm it, that some of them even followed Tinubu outside the country to go and lobby for appointments. Some of them have been on to Kashim Shettima and people close to him to see how they can make their way into the new government.
“Unfortunately, most of the people with the money and the connections for all of these are those who have never worked for the party in the state. Look at the present Minister for instance, he did next to nothing to address the crisis in the party in the state and was in Abuja all along. People like Senator Yusuf A. Yusuf who came into the APC from no where and was given the senatorial slot on a plater of gold can not boast of doing anything for the party. Rather, they were the ones that were fanning the ambers of division and confusion that has cost the party in the state.
“Most of these people even lost their polling units in the least election. The minister lost to the PDP. Yusuf A Yusuf lost to the NNPP. Bwacha, who was the governorship candidate lost his local government to the Labour Party. The list goes on and on.
” I just hope that at the end of the day, the President elect and his deputy will not bow to pressure and misinformation and reward the wrong people. Chief Sabo Kente openly campaigned for the candidate of the PDP in Wukari and parts of Southern Taraba. Even the Senator elect Honorable David Jimkuta campaigned for Kefas Agbu and it is on record. So the President elect must take his time and look at the party and reward those who have actually worked to build the party and who have the capacity to do so before it is too late” Maiangwa said.
