Despite concerted efforts by President Muhammadu Buhari to keep the list of his would-be ministers close to his chest, the list has become leaked, with a portal authoritatively listing some successful nominees and giving a peep into the behind-the-scene intrigues in the cabinet composition.

“As at last night, the former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, human rights activist and lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana and former Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, Mr. Wale Edun, The Lead can confirm, made the Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial list that will be sent to the national assembly for confirmation this month,” says a report this morning in the portal published by a very senior newspaper editor.

“Reliable informants confirmed during the week that former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was instrumental to the nominations of the trio. According to the same source, consultations and search for nominees in three other South-West states of Ogun, Ondo and Oyo were yet to be concluded,” the report says

The portal says it gathered at the weekend that while Falana is being considered for the office of the Atorney General of the Federation, Oyinlola might emerge as the Internal Affairs Minister while Edun might emerge as the Finance Minister.

The report quotes a source close to the Presidency as saying that a former colleague of Tinubu at Mobil, Chief Pius Akinyelure, was nominated to emerge as the nominee from Ondo State but declined, saying he was too old to pick up an appointment of that magnitude.

According to The Lead, “Whereas the leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC) had shown preference for the emergence of a former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni, as the nominee from Ekiti State, Oni was eventually dropped following the resolve of President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice from the South-West.

“Against this background, he said Falana’s name quickly came to mind and because Buhari personally liked him, he became the choice for the state. The choice of Falana as the nominee from Ekiti State sealed the perceived hope of a former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to become a minister.

“In the same vein, the nomination of Edun in Lagos State has put paid to the ambition of a former Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to occupy a ministerial position.

It was also learnt that Oyinlola’s nomination was a compensation for his support to the party following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC) before last year’s governorship election in Osun State.

“Our source said that his support for the re-election of Governor Rauf Aregbesola contributed to his inclusion, adding that since another prominent defector from PDP to APC, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, had earlier been compensated, it became imperative for the party to compensate Oyinlola as well.”

The Lead quotes the source as saying: “The leadership of the party wanted Oni to emerge from Ekiti State but President Buhari prevailed on them, saying he wanted to pick the attorney-general from the South-West and he personally likes Falana. The choice of Oyinlola in Osun is compensation because Oyinlola’s defection helped Aregbesola to be re-elected. Adeleke who also helped had earlier been compensated. So, it is time to compensate Oyinlola.”

The report has it that the perceived estranged relationship between Buhari and Tinubu has been restored following the decision of Buhari to retrace his steps back to the latter in consciousness of his contribution to his emergence.

It quotes a source as saying: “The president decided to beat a retreat because he realised that it was safer for him to maintain his relationship with Tinubu in the South-West even if he would not seek a re-election in 2019. He told Tinubu that he would not make any appointment from the South-West without his blessing.”

•Photo showsPresident Buhari.

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