The Senate on Thursday announced the nomination of ministers by President Bola Tinubu.

Those on the list, as disclosed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio at Thursday’s plenary, include Abubakar Momoh, Kogi; Yusuf Maitama Sule, Kano; Ahmad Dangiwa, Katsina; Anachu Muzawa, Katsina; Uche Nnaji, Enugu; Betta Edu, Cross River; Doris Aneth Uzoka, Imo; and David Umahi, Ebonyi.

Others are: Nyesom Wike, Rivers; Muhammad Badaru, Jigawa; Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna; Nkiru Oyejiocha, Abia; Olubumbi Tunji Ojo, Ondo; Stella Okotete, Delta; Uju Kennedy Ohaneye, Anambra; and Bello Mohammed Goronyo, Sokoto.

The rest are Dele Alake, Ekiti; Lateef Fagbemi, Kwara; Mohammad Idris, Niger; Olawale Edun, Ogun; Waheed Adebayo Adelabu, Oyo; Suleiman Ibrahim, Nasarawa; Ali Patteh, Bauchi; Abubakar Kyari, Borno; John Eroh, Cross River; Sani Abubakar Danladi, Taraba; Ekperipe Ekpo, Akwa Ibom and Professor Joseph Iorsev, Benue.

The list comes on the last day Mr Tinubu was due to submit his ministerial nominees or risk violating the new amendment to the Nigerian Constitution, which gave the president 60 days to form cabinet post-inauguration.

Mr Tinubu’s chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, delivered the list to the Senate on Thursday.

Mr Wike, a former governor of Rivers, made the list despite being a lifelong member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

His appointment for a yet-to-be-disclosed ministerial position appeared a political reward for his role in swinging the votes of Rivers for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25 presidential election. 

Mr Wike, despite coming second at the PDP’s presidential primary, overtly worked for Mr Tinubu during the general election, thwarting the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar, who was the party’s presidential nominee.  

Unlike how former President Umar Yar’Adua announced a government of national unity to invite members of the opposition to his cabinet, Mr Tinubu did not former a similar arrangement. Instead, he appointed Mr Wike to compensate him for the controversial manipulation of votes in Rivers, where widespread rigging of results, especially against Labour Party’s Peter Obi, was established.

The former governor, despite his obvious fallout with the party and collaboration with opposition parties, has refused to resign his membership in the party. 

Mr Wike obtained a court order in February restraining the PDP from taking disciplinary measures against his extensive anti-party activities. 

A spokesman for the PDP did not return a request from Peoples Gazette seeking comments about the nomination of one of its most prominent members as a cabinet official for the ruling party.