Amid the circulation of names of persons speculated to have made the list of ministerial nominees, National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Iyiola Omisore, on Tuesday, said the ministerial list approved by President Bola Tinubu is not ready.
Speaking on a Channels Television programme on Tuesday evening, Omisore said the president was still discussing with the party and other stakeholders, and still fine tuning the list.
Describing some of the names flying around as potential ministers as funny and mere speculations, Omisore said Nigerians should expect a “unique, focused, professionalized, serious-minded and bespoke cabinet,” when the list of ministers is released.
He said the president was looking out for persons to make up a bespoke cabinet that would meet the present yearnings of Nigerians and implement the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of the Tinubu administration.
Omisore said: “The list is not ready yet. We are consulting, discussing, even up to four hours ago, we still met with him.
“We want to have a unique cabinet that meets the yearnings of Nigerians. Nigerians are known for speculations, I don’t relate with those names at all. I have even some funny names so I don’t bother myself looking at those names.
“At my level, I won’t go by speculations because I know the reality of what is coming up. So, I will not get myself to be distracted. You should expect a unique, focused, professionalized, serious-minded cabinet. The president will assess also whether people of other parties helped him to make up a combined cabinet.”
Speaking further, Omisore hinted that there would be a restructuring, rebranding and renaming of some ministries to reflect present-day realities and aptly meets the aspirations of Nigerians.
The APC National Secretary said the cabinet will have a makeup of between 37 and 43 in line with the constitutional provision of one minister from each of the 36 states and the FCT and a probable selection of one minister from each of the six political zones.
He said: “We are likely to structure the ministries to reflect the yearnings of Nigerians today, either merging some, rebranding some, naming some, just to achieve renewed hope. But, you will see a bespoke cabinet that meets the yearnings of Nigerians under renewed agenda.
“The size of his cabinet is being kept in the wrap for now. But, the constitution says that there should be a minister per state, that is 36, it is the prerogative of the president to have one minister per zone, making 42, plus one for FCT, making 43, the prerogative of the president.
“So, he can have 37 or 43 as the maximum. We are still consulting, in the party arms; we are still consulting among ourselves. We are looking at the ministry. We are likely to structure the ministries to reflect the yearnings of Nigerians today, either merging some, rebranding some, naming some, just to achieve renewed hope.
“But, you will see a bespoke cabinet that meets the yearnings of Nigerians under renewed agenda. You reflect the times; you know that things have changed; things are happening.”
Speaking further, Omisore described as a figment of people’s imagination reports that there was an internal crisis in the party and some wanted the national chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu out.