Baring any last minute changes, the much anticipated mid-term reshuffle of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) will be done today by President Muhammadu Buhari as cabinet members converge at the Presidential Villa Abuja for Wednesday’s FEC meeting.
Presidential sources told THEWILL on Tuesday night that cabinet reshuffle is one of the pressing issues the President wants to address as the administration enters a very crucial part of its four-year mandate with political activities ahead of the 2019 general elections expected to kick off in January next year.
THEWILL also gathered authoritatively from presidential sources that the president will also name a new Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, with the current Minister of Transport and former governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi highly favoured for the role.
One source said: “The choice of Rt. Hon. Amaechi as SGF is very strategic. Amaechi is someone that has capacity and understands how to leverage on power and influence of a powerful political office as the SGF’s. The President needs this skill as the party prepares to defends its hold on power against the PDP. Recall he was the DG of the President’s campaign and has delivered two senate seats to the ruling All Progressives Party(APC) in Rivers State, dealing Governor Wike a deadly political blow in the process.”
Buhari returned to Nigeria from England on August 19 after a 103-day treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
News reports had suggested that then Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo had during a visit to the President in London last month sought permission to reshuffle the cabinet. The reports said the President asked him to delay the move until his return.