Here's a 6-man list of eminent Nigerians who were widely speculated in the media to be tipped for ministerial appointment, but unfortunately didn't make Buhari's list
Prior to the official announcement of President Muhammadu Buhari's ministerial nominees by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki yesterday, 6th of October, the names of some eminent Nigerians were heavily speculated in the news as ministerial nominees.
Shockingly, events took a new turn when their names were discovered to be absent in the 21-man list sent by Buhari for screening by the senate.
It would be recalled that most of them played active roles in the ascension of President Muhammadu Buhari to power through several legitimate means. Meanwhile, media speculations have it that their hopes may not be totally dashed as the president has 14 more names to present according to the dictates of the constitution.
The names of the top officials have been given below:
(1) Charles Soludo:
Reports have it that Charles Soludo, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN was presented to Buhari by former president Olusegun Obasanjo but unfortunately his name was found missing on the highly anticipated list.
(2) Pat Utomi:
Patrick Okedinachi Utomi is a Nigerian professor of political economy and management expert. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria and a former presidential candidate. He was heavily tipped in the media as a ministerial nominee but his name was absent on the released official list. Pat Utomi maintains a perfect relationship with the All Progressives Congress, APC National and influential leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
(3) Tam David West:
Tamunoemi Sokari David-West, popularly known as Tam David-West, is a Nigerian academic, social critic, and former federal minister. He spoke at several public events in advocacy for the candidature of President Muhammadu Buhari. He was initially tipped as the Petroleum Minister before the president decided to appoint himself to that portfolio for reason of sanitization and accountability. Tam David West maybe currently banking on the 'second batch' of the ministerial nominee list if there is going to be one.
(4) Oby Ezekwesili:
Obiageli Ezekwesili is a Nigerian chartered accountant. She was a co-founder of Transparency International, serving as one of the pioneer directors of the global anti-corruption body based in Berlin, Germany. She served as Federal Minister of Solid Minerals and then as Federal Minister of Education during the second-term presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo. She embraced Buhari's change agenda and actively helped in spreading the message but shockingly, she is yet to be handed a portfolio.
(5) Femi Falana:
Femi Falana is a very vocal and established Lagos lawyer who was invited for screening by the State Security Service, SSS as part of the procedural screening process by the security outfit for nominated ministers but Nigerians were held in cold shock when a big name like this defied the heavy media speculations to be left out of the list of ministerial nominees.
(6) Abike Dabiri:
Abike Kafayat Oluwatoyin Dabiri-Erewa, a former member of the Nigeria Federal House of Representatives representing Ikorodu Constituency in Lagos State and a member of the APC carried the banner of the political party gallantly. She was quite influential with her opinions as regards the supremacy of Buhari over the immediate past president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Many expected a compensation of the influential politician with a ministerial portfolio but dramatically, her name was left out of the list of 'angels' that contained only three women.
Osayiwmen Osahon George
@Osahon87