In a recent confirmation from the Presidency, President Bola Tinubu is preparing to restructure his cabinet, with changes expected “in no distant time.”
This announcement was made on Wednesday during a joint briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, and O’Tega Ogra, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital/New Media.
Onanuga stated that while no specific timeline has been set, the president has made it clear that he intends to carry out a reshuffle. “The President has expressed his desire to reshuffle his cabinet, and he will do it”.
“I don’t know whether he’s going to do it before October 1, but he will surely do it”, Onanuga explained.
This forthcoming shake-up will be guided by the performance of cabinet members, according to reports the President has received over the past months.
Ogra emphasized that the decision is not arbitrary but grounded in performance reviews conducted by Hadiza Bala-Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination and head of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit.
Bala-Usman had previously led a retreat for ministers, during which the President highlighted the importance of continuous evaluations.
“The President’s decision to reshuffle his cabinet is based on empirical evidence,” Ogra explained. “He had said at the ministerial retreat that periodic reviews would inform future decisions.”
The move comes amidst growing pressure both from within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and outside, as calls have mounted for the dismissal of underperforming ministers.
While some speculate that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation may be scrapped, there are also indications that certain portfolios may be merged, and some ministers could be replaced.
Though Tinubu issued warnings about underperformance nearly ten months ago, significant changes have yet to occur within his cabinet, apart from the suspension of Dr. Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Tinubu’s administration aims to distinguish itself from that of his predecessor, President Muhammadu Buhari, who maintained the majority of his cabinet members throughout his eight-year tenure.
During the retreat last November, Tinubu underscored his commitment to accountability: “If you are performing, nothing to fear. If you miss the objective, we’ll review it. If no performance, you leave us. No one is an island, and the buck stops on my desk.”
