Buba Galadima: Tinubu’s Planned Cabinet Reshuffle to Reward Cronies

A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has expressed his opinion over the planned cabinet reshuffle by President Bola Tinubu.

He said the reshuffle will not address the pressing challenges Nigerians are facing.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on the 25th of September, made a statement that the president intends to reorganize his cabinet. However, no specific timeline was provided for the reshuffle.

Speaking on Channels TV’s ‘Politics Today’ on Friday, Galadima dismissed the significance of the move.

He argued that the reshuffle was simply aimed at rewarding cronies and that it would not improve the harsh living conditions in the country.

“That (planned cabinet reshuffle) has nothing to do with me or any Nigerian,”

“What is of importance to all of us is bringing down the harsh conditions of living, and the buck stops only on the table of one man—that is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

“No amount of reshuffling can make a difference. As far as that team is only a ‘job for the boys,’ nothing will come out of it.”

He added that Tinubu should be held accountable for the performance of his ministers, many of whom, according to Galadima, are more focused on their own pockets than on serving the people.

Similarly, opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), NNPP, and Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), have called on President Tinubu to go beyond reshuffling his cabinet and focus on tackling the nation’s challenges.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, urged the president to reassess his policies, especially those that have caused widespread hardship.

“The PDP has emphasized multiple times that a government focused on its citizens should have been cautious about the detrimental effects of hastily implemented policies,”

“Such decisions should have been accompanied by adequate measures to safeguard the well-being of the people,” he said.

NNPP Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, supported the idea of a reshuffle but emphasized that it must happen quickly to avert further setbacks.

He noted that most Nigerians are frustrated with the current direction of the country under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration.

Johnson said, “It is a welcome development because, as far as most Nigerians are concerned, a lot of them don’t see things going in the right direction. And the buck stops at the president’s table.”

He added that beyond reshuffling his cabinet, Tinubu must also rethink his policies and make urgent adjustments to restore confidence.

The Presidency has confirmed the upcoming reshuffle, which many speculate could bring significant changes to Tinubu’s administration.

The Financial Times had in a July 16 2024  editorial argued that President “Tinubu’s cabinet is full of incompetent lightweights who owe their jobs to political patronage, not to expertise”. The Financial times pointed out the need to bring in “technocratic talent” if the Tinubu government is to deliver on its agenda for economic revival and sustainable growth.

Nigerian opposition parties have not offered alternative policies to the economic reforms of the President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s administration.

 

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