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Cabinet Reshuffle: Party members unhappy over Tinubu’s refusal to sack Eko boys
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The recent cabinet reshuffle carried out by President Bola Tinubu had been condemned by some stalwarts of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), while lamenting that those who should have been shown the way out were left in the saddle.
Some party loyalists who spoke with Saturday Telegraph and who were visibly angry argued that Tinubu should have sacked some of his so-called ‘Lagos Boys’, whom they see as bench warmers and hangers on.
One of the party loyalists, who happened to be a state official in one of the South West states, explained that it would have been a good step, if the President had started the cabinet cleansing with his own boys.
“He is pampering his so-called Lagos boys with kid gloves. What exactly are the achievements of the managers of the economy? They have made the economy worse than they met it. Why is he keeping his cousin, Oyetola? Has Oyetola performed better than Tahir?
Another source, who, a few years ago, was an executive official in another South West state, argued that Tinubu is only using his personality to shield his own loyalists. The source even went further to say that some of the Lagos Boys are not card-carrying members of the party.
“If we want to be sincere, none of his boys are spectacular. Dele Alake has not shown any special indication that he is brilliantly performing. If you want to break it down, they are not even members of our party.
“If we want to be sincere, none of his boys are spectacular. Dele Alake has not shown any special indication that he is brilliantly performing. If you want to break it down, they are not even members of our party.
“Where did they register as members of the party? Let them show us their cards and their wards. The one in FCCPC, Tunji Bello, has not highlighted one important policy that could be applauded; yet, they are all left untouched while Uju and Tahir were booted out like sacrificial lambs.
Afenifere fumes
IN his opinion, the National Publicity of Afenifere, Gboyega Adejumo, said the notion that the President is pampering his Lagos Boys speaks for itself.
“Do I have to make an input? Does anyone have to make an input? In the actions and deeds of Mr. President, his Lagos Boys are the greatest beneficiaries of his government.
Let me make a caveat; If they are competent and have the capacity and they are dedicated and they have all it takes, naturally, I don’t have issues with that.
“I have a problem with not updating your knowledge but the problem is what have these people done since they left their workplaces? Mr. President needs to know what other capacity they have acquired and how they have even updated their knowledge base for them to fit into higher offices. This is my grouse.
“So far, nothing has convinced me that the people managing the economy who are those you call the Lagos Boys are the very best that can be thrown into the situation that we have found ourselves in. Sincerely, I am yet to be convinced that they can deliver the goods.
Nothing will change -Galadima
A chieftain of the opposition New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Engr. Buba Galadima also carpeted the exercise, saying the move will achieve nothing in terms of turning the fortunes of the country around if he wants to.
Speaking in a telephone chat with Saturday Telegraph yesterday, Galadima expressed no worries over the cabinet reshuffle.
He said: “Anyone working for the President is an employee of the President. Anybody working for the governor is an employee of the governor. In the same token, anybody working for the council chairman is an employee of the council chairman.
“I don’t bother myself with what has happened because, as far as I am concerned, what has happened will not change anything. What have these people been doing? If the president wants Nigeria to work, it will, but if he doesn’t want, no amount of white washing can make it look bright.
“I’m indifferent and every Nigerian should be indifferent. If the president likes, he can even go ahead to appoint his children into positions of government. That is his prerogative,” he said.
Falls short of expectations -APC ChieftainAnother chieftain of the APC also slammed Tinubu on his ministerial reshuffling, stating that it would have no impact. The Abuja based chieftain said Nigerians were expecting the reshuffling in the areas of economy, security and Petroleum which they are suffering from.
According to him, there is nothing negative to Nigerians in Women Affairs, Niger Delta Youth Development, etc that the President concentrated on.
“The President just took Nigerians on a wide goose chase journey in rejigging the cabinet, he didn’t touch economy and he didn’t touch Defence. These are the problems we have.
“There were no changes there. So, what was the essence of rejigging? The essence of the cabinet reshuffling was to help correct economic and security issues.
“So, what was the noise of rejigging the cabinet when the people handling the economy and security are still there? Is it regional planning and Niger Delta that are the problems of the government?
The problems of the government are economy and security. Finance, he didn’t touch; economic issues he didn’t touch. In the petroleum sector there is a problem. So who is he fooling and why did he go that route to say he was rejigging the cabinet.
President in order, says NWC member
However, a member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said that the party has no ill feeling over the cabinet reshuffle
According to the member who sought for anonymity, the appointments and reshuffling of the Ministers are the prerogative of the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He however dismissed the belief that the Presidency was not working with the members of the APC NWC.
He said that they only heard of cabinet reshuffling in their meeting and nobody expressed ill-feeling over it in the meeting. The NWC member also dismissed the insinuation that the Presidency was not working in consonance with the party leadership and that there were members of NWC to be sacked.
According to him, people should stop creating news where there is none. Asked how the NWC felt about the reshuffling of the Federal Executive and the alleged disappointment of the party leadership that the Ministers from Lagos State were not touched.
The NWC member said: “Let me tell you, that is the statement of some person’s imagination. In fact, there was no discussion in respect to ministerial appointment or rescheduling, except there are individuals that have their own opinions.
“There was no discussion on that. It is the prerogative of the President to determine whoever is going to work with him to achieve the economic and infrastructural developmental gains of democratic system that he is heading.
“So, we cannot decide for him. Individuals might have their ambitions including some of the NWC members or other party chieftains. Anybody generalizing it is just trying to state what was not discussed.
…..Oyedele elevated to Finance Minister
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a minor cabinet reshuffle in the membership of the Federal Executive Council.
According to a memo signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, two cabinet members, Mr. Wale Edun and Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa are to leave the cabinet while their replacements have been named.
Edun, until the latest development, was the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy.
He has been directed to hand over to Mr. Taiwo Oyedele who is now to take over as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy. Oyedele was formerly a Minister of State in the ministry.
Also Mr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma (PhD .) has been named as the ministerial nominee and minister designate for the Housing and Urban Development Ministry.
The memo also directed Dangiwa to hand over to the Minister of State in the ministry.
The memo stated that “all handing over and taking over processes should be completed on or before close of business on Thursday 23rd April, 2026.”
Explaining the President’s decision, Akume said: “These changes are aimed at strengthening cohesion, synergy in governance as well as achieving more impactful delivery on the economy to Nigerians, through the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
He said the President, in approving the cabinet reshuffle, has fully exercised his powers as conferred on him by Sections 147 and 148 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended).
The President thanked the outgoing ministers for their services to the nation while wishing them the best in all their future endeavours.
The President, Akume noted, equally assured all cabinet members that “the process of reinvigoration shall be continuous.”
A United States lawmaker has accused Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, of attempting to bribe a U.S. official in a bid to suppress a report alleging genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
Kimberly Daniels, a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives, made the allegation in a video posted on her official Facebook account on Monday. The video has since gained traction online, sparking debate across political and diplomatic circles.
In the video, Daniels claimed that the alleged bribe was intended to influence the narrative surrounding a report by the United World Congress of Diplomats (UN-WCD), which accused Nigerian authorities of failing to address what it described as targeted killings of Christians in parts of the country.
“A U.S. elected official was offered money by Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to change the narrative of the UN-WCD Christian genocide in Nigeria report,” Daniels said.
The lawmaker, who also serves as chairperson of the UN-WCD, maintained that she would not be intimidated or silenced, insisting that the issue of violence against Christians in Nigeria must be addressed transparently.
Daniels had earlier called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove Matawalle from office, alleging his complicity in violent incidents reported in states such as Plateau, Benue, and Kaduna.
As of the time of filing this report, Matawalle has not publicly responded to the allegations. The Nigerian government has also not issued an official statement addressing the claims.
The development adds a new dimension to ongoing international scrutiny over security challenges in Nigeria, particularly concerning communal and sectarian violence in parts of the country.
. Court order a death knell for the financial nerves of drug cartels, says Marwa
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured another significant win in its ongoing offensive against drug cartels as the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, granted an interim forfeiture order for 17 containers laden with illicit opioids worth over N33.6 billion in street value.
The containers, which were intercepted at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, on 4th September; 14th August; 13th August; 29th July; 13th June; 30th May; 29th May; 28th May; 20th May; 19th May; 14th May and 29th April, all in 2025, contain a staggering haul of Nineteen Million Six Hundred Thousand (19,600,000) pills of Tramadol, Tafrodol, Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, as well as Two Million Four Hundred and Ninety Six Thousand Four Hundred (2,496,400) bottles of Codeine Syrup. The combined street value of the seizures is estimated at Thirty-Three Billion, Six Hundred and Ninety-One Million, Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N33,691,200,000).
The forfeiture order was issued by Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, following a motion exparte filed by the NDLEA on 10th February 2026 in suit number FHC/PH/MISC/25/2026.
Ruling on the application, Justice Adamu said “An order is hereby made forfeiting in the interim to the Federal Government of Nigeria seventeen (17) shipping containers containing a total, of three hundred and sixty-five thousand, six hundred and seventy-five (365,657kg) of various types of psychotropic substances, as well as other items as stated in the schedule to this application, illegally imported into Nigeria through the Onne Sea Port, Onne, Eleme, Rivers State by unknown persons.”
He further ruled that “An order is hereby made vesting custody and possession of the said containers and their respective contents to the Applicant/Complainant untiI the final determination of this Suit.”
Reacting to the court’s order, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) described the forfeiture as a death knell for the financial nerves of the criminal syndicates involved.
According to him, this is not just a seizure, it is a total dispossession of the resources the drug cartels intended to use in destroying the lives of our youths and funding further criminality.
By stripping the criminal syndicates of assets worth over N33.6 billion, we have struck at the heart of their operations. This sends a clear message: the Nigerian state will not allow the proceeds of death to circulate to fund terrorism and other forms of criminality in our country.”
While commending the Nigerian Judiciary for its steadfast support and timely intervention in granting the interim forfeiture, Marwa noted that the partnership between the temple of justice and the agency is critical to winning the war against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
He further lauded the officers, men and women of NDLEA, particularly those attached to the Onne Port Command, for their vigilance, professional integrity, and eagle-eyed scrutiny that led to the discovery of the concealed drugs. The NDLEA Chairman also acknowledged the vital role played by sister security agencies including the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other port stakeholders whose cooperation ensured a seamless interdiction process.
He also commended international partners for their continued intelligence sharing and technical support which remains a cornerstone of the agency’s success, adding that the Agency remains resolute in its mission to dismantle drug networks across the country.
Tinubu approves minor cabinet reshuffle, sacks Edun, Dangiwa
US Lawmaker Accuses Tinubu’s Minister Of Bribery To Cover Up Genocide Report
NDLEA secures forfeiture of N33.6 billion worth of opioids intercepted at Onne Port(Photos)
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