Jonathan Nominates Obanikoro, 7 Others as Ministers

Indications emerged on Tuesday that the President has appointed former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musilu Obanikoro and seven others for ministerial positions.
This was made known via a  letter from the president read on the floor of the senate by the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark.
The names of the ministerial nominees‎ are Patricia Akwashiki (Nasarawa), Augustine Akobundu (Abia state), Fidelis Nwankwo (Ebonyi), Hauwa’u Lawan (Jigawa), Musiliu Obanikoro (Lagos), Kenneth Kobani (Rivers) and Joel Danlami Ikenya (Taraba).

They were appointed to fill positions that became vacant when some ministers resigned their appointments to pursue their political aspirations. Those who left the cabinet are Information Minister, Labaran Maku, his colleague, the junior minister for Education, Nyesome Wike, Samuel Ortom, Trade and Industry and Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro.
Others are Labour Minister, Emeka Wogu, Dr. Onyebuchi Chukwu, Minister for Health; Dairus Ishaku, Minister of State for Niger Delta.
Obanikoro had alleged that the governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party had been fraught with irregularities. He was however pacified and he agreed to work with the party to achieve success in the general elections.

According to a letter from the president read on the floor of the senate by David Mark, president of the senate, the ministerial nominees‎ are Patricia Akwashiki (Nasarawa), Augustine Akobundu (Abia state), Fidelis Nwankwo (Ebonyi), Hauwa’u Lawan (Jigawa), Musiliu Obanikoro (Lagos), Kenneth Kobani (Rivers) and Joel Danlami Ikenya (Taraba). In October 2014, seven portfolios became vacant following the resignation of some ministers in pursuit of their political ambitions. The ministers were Labaran Maku, (information); Samuel Ortom, (trade and industry); Nyesom Wike, (state for education); Musiliu Obanikoro, (state for defence). Others are Emeka Wogu, (labour); Onyebuchi Chukwu, (health); Dairus Ishaku, (state for Niger Delta). However, only Musiliu Obanikoro, who lost the gubernatorial ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos to Jimi Agbaje, made the list of new nominees. President Goodluck Jonathan included the name of Obanikoro to pacify him and avoid a crack in the state chapter of the party because Koro as he is popularly called alleged that the primary election was rigged in favour of Agbaje and instituted a suit challenging Agbaje’s victory. Wike emerged the most fortunate among his colleagues, as he is the current candidate of PDP in Rivers state. Ortom defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he is the party’s flagbearer in Benue, while Maku is the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Nasarwa.

Read more at: http://www.thecable.ng/breaking-jonathan-forwards-eight-ministerial-nominees-senate | TheCable