Some stakeholders across political party divide, yesterday, urged President Bola Tinubu to consider factors of competence, loyalty to party and integrity before choosing his minister and other federal appointees from Oyo State.
They decried the idea of placing much emphasis on technocrats for ministerial positions, saying such idea is absolutely uncalled for since there are also many technocrats within the political class, who according to them, deployed their energies, finances and other resources to the victory of Tinubu during the presidential primary and the February 25 presidential election.
The stakeholders, however, shared different opinions whether the President should restrict his choice of ministers to his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is in the opposition in Oyo State or throw the appointment open, with the view to accommodate other political parties that played significant roles and supported him during the election.
However, some of them harped on the need to acknowledge the input of Governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Tinubu’s victory in the state.
Among those who spoke with The Guardian include former Oyo State Chairman of the APC, Chief Akin Oke; a chieftain of the APC and governorship aspirant, Chief Niyi Akintola; immediate past Deputy National Youth Leader of the APC, Mr. Afeez Bolaji Repete; House of Assembly aspirant for Ogbomoso North Constituency on the platform of the Accord Party (AP), Bolaji Tunji; South-West leader of New Nigerian People Party (NNPP), Alhaji Bisi Olopoenyan and governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Tawfiq Akinwale.
Oke said it would be difficult for him to say specifically whom President Tinubu should appoint within the APC circle, considering the role other parties played in his victory.
He said: “What is paramount is that the APC does not have a governor in Oyo and it will therefore need someone who can be made minister to rally around members of the party. The person, of course, must also be competent and popular among the party members.”Akintola said: “What is important is that the idea of placing emphasis on technocrat is nonsense.”
“We cannot just go and bring lazy people from their offices to become ministers over those who paid the dues. Or are we saying there are no technocrats in politics. I don’t buy the idea.”
Olopoenyan specifically said that Tinubu should look for fresh hands to be appointed as ministers and not those that have served in the past. He also said there is no room for party sentiment but competence, integrity and determination to serve the country should be considered. Tunji and Repete, on their parts, harped on party’s loyalty and consideration for government of national unity.
They posited that Nigeria needs people with integrity and capacity to join hands with the President to build the country. Akinwale, who urged the President to consider capacity, competence and integrity, said: “In the last few years, a particular region, Oyo North, has produced two ministers consecutively, likewise Oyo South has produced, I think consideration should be given to someone from Oyo Central to serve as minister now.”
