Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana may emerge as the minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation in the Muhammadu Buhari government.
According to a portal which leaked the information about the President’s ministerial list, a former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and former Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, Mr. Wale Edun, made the Buhari’s ministerial list.
The report quotes a source close to the Presidency as saying that Falana was personally chosen by the President because of his personal like for him. The choice of Falana from Ekiti State sealed the perceived hope of a former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi to become a minister.
Also, the nomination of Edun from Lagos State has put paid to the ambition of a former Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to occupy a ministerial position.
It was learnt that Oyinlola may emerge as the Internal Affairs Minister while Edun may emerge as the Finance Minister.
It was also learnt that Oyinlola’s nomination is 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.
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 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.” [myad]
