Crisis Looms as APC Heavy Weights Revolt Against Buhari

As members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, await the release of the Board and Chief Executive Officers appointments by President Muhammadu Buhari, a source at the presidency has revealed that the appointments were delayed, because of the restructuring of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, on Sunday, July 3, stated that; “until the presidency concludes the restructuring, the board and Chief Executive Officers appointments, might not be released’’.

He added, that high profile party Chieftains led by the National Leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, have been mounting pressure on the President to appoint board members now.

“For one year, the APC Chieftains have been waiting for their appointments into Boards and Chief Executive Officers of some Federal Government Parastatals and Agencies, but the right thing must be done first,’’ a source revealed.

At assumption of office, President Buhari, had trimmed down the number of Ministries from over 30 to 23. He also promised that the Departments and the Agencies would be trimmed down.

While Speaking, the Presidency source disclosed that Agencies like the Petroleum Products and Pricing Regulation Agency, PPPRA, Petroleum Equalisation Trust Fund, PETF, and others, under the Ministry of Petroleum, would be merged.

According to him, these are agencies responsible for subsidies of petroleum products, and now that such subsidies are not visible, they would be merged.

Post-Nigeria learnt that, few months ago, Buhari had dropped the list of people submitted to him, by the leadership of the APC, for board appointments.

The move came months after the leadership and members of the party had waited for the appointments.

A source within the party had maintained that the Presidency has set aside the earlier list compiled by the leadership of the party.

According to him, the presidency discovered that there were sharp practices in the compilation. Over 2,000 names were nominated for board appointments by a committee that had all the APC National Vice Chairmen as members.

Also, five members of APC from each State were nominated as Chief Executive Officers of parastatals and agencies of Federal Government.

A source at the National Headquarters of the APC, disclosed that the Presidency had rejected the list compiled by the committee.

The source said: “Yes, the President has rejected the list compiled by the national leadership of the party, and asked the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, to compile a fresh list.

“The Presidency noticed that there were sharp practices in the compilation made by the committee and decided that the list should be dropped”.

This according to party sources, may possibly snowball into a crisis within the party.

When the office of the SGF was contacted, a source admitted that they were compiling a fresh list of party members for the board and chief executive appointments.

Asked when the Presidency would release the board appointments, the source said: “We are still compiling the names of nominees”.

Also, the source revealed that the merger of some ministries, would also affect the release of the list, as the Presidency was considering the merger of some agencies and parastatals.

“Until this is done, the list might not be released,” the source said.