How President Tinubu Handpicked Ministers In 2023 And Asked Governors To Take Credit-Gov Makinde

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has pulled back the curtain on the intense behind-the-scenes political maneuvering that shaped President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet formation in 2023, revealing how the president handpicked ministers but urged governors to claim ownership of the choices.

Recall that the president inaugurated his first cabinet of 45 ministers at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja on August 21, 2023.

Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Governor Seyi Makinde, who commented on the friction and compromises that followed the 2023 elections while appearing as a guest on Fresh FM’s political programme in Ibadan at the weekend, also disclosed that members of the G5 governors, a dissident faction of the PDP which was headed by the then Governor Nyesom Wike ,were deeply impacted by the high-stakes cabinet appointments.

Governor Makinde, who is the APM presidential candidate, said although the original agreement dictated that governors would nominate ministerial candidates from their respective states, President Tinubu had also in furtherance of this indicated his desire to assign the Budget and Economic Planning portfolio to Oyo State during an early consultative meeting with him, requesting a qualified development economist for the role.

‘I said, ‘Okay, we will look for somebody that fits that bill,’ because all we were thinking about was how do we help? How do we really help to move this country forward’ he said.

However, by the next meeting, the governor noted, the political landscape had shifted as President Tinubu had already decided to nominate Chief Adebayo Adelabu, a former Central Bank Deputy Governor and Makinde’s fierce rival in the 2019 Oyo State gubernatorial race.

In a bid to prioritize merit over party lines, Governor Makinde said he had instead submitted the name of Mr Bimbo Adegbembo, a former Commissioner for Finance under late Chief Abiola Ajimobi noting that despite Adegbembo’s opposing political background, a review of state records had proved that he played a vital role in stabilizing the previous administration.

He added that after nominating Adelabu as minister, President Tinubu had asked him to publicly own the nomination in order to present a united front which he flatly declined to do.

‘I said ‘no sir, Bayo is your choice, and let it be known to the people that it is your choice. I am supposed to help by nominating people that can add value to your administration. If you have seen somebody who can do that, that’s good’ the governor added.

Governor Makinde also alleged that none of his fellow governors enjoyed the privilege of nominating their preferred ministerial candidates, claiming that they were all handpicked by Bourdillon, the private residence of the president in Lagos.

‘What I found out much later was that what happened to me in Oyo State was exactly what happened to most of my colleagues, although they may deny it now’ he said adding that ‘The point I’m trying to make is that most of my colleagues, not just those in the G5, but my fellow governors were given people and asked to adopt them as theirs. For instance, if any governor says, ‘Oh, in Ogun State we got three ministerial slots,’ all three of those slots actually came from Bourdillon. The president reneged on the understanding and agreement he signed, and he did not even appoint people on the basis of geographical spread or national unity’.

He also said President Bola Tinubu as APC presidential candidate had promised to form a ‘government of national unity’.

He disclosed that the pact was signed on Tinubu’s behalf by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State adding that the agreement explicitly outlined plans to include opposition figures including supporters of the then Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi in the administration so as to address widespread public anger and systemic national challenges.

While reflecting on his seven-year journey to overcome initial public skepticism regarding his lack of public sector experience, Governor Seyi Makinde rated his administration’s performance at 80 percent, earning what he described as a ‘distinction’.

He recalled that when he assumed office, many stakeholders and citizens openly doubted his ability to lead the state because he had never served as a lawmaker, councilor, or held any prior political office, these doubts prompted his team to meticulously document their commitments to ensure transparency and accountability.

‘When I came into government, everybody was very doubtful. They were like, ‘You haven’t done this before… How should we trust you to do something for Oyo State?’ To take that doubt away, we reduced what we were going to do for Oyo State to black and white’ he said.

The governor added that his administration relied on structured governance frameworks to deliver on its promises, starting with the Roadmap for Accelerated Development (2019–2023) during his first term, followed by the Roadmap to Sustainable Development (2023–2027) for his ongoing second term urging the public to continue to hold his government accountable based on those blueprints.

Acknowledging that no administration is flawless, Governor Makinde expressed pride in what his team has accomplished so far noting that while critics might point out specific shortcomings within his administration’s core pillars, a fair assessment of the total volume of work completed justifies his high self-assessment.

‘It’s possible you cannot get a hundred percent absolutely. But if you look at the quantum of things we have put together, at least if people are not biased, I give ourselves about eighty percent, which is a distinction’ he added-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079,  08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you