*Kyari, Kingibe play prominent role in selection process
President Muhammadu Buhari is said to have incurred the wrath of APC leaders over the choice of nominees for non-career ambassadors. Most of the 23 APC governors are angry because their candidates for the ambassadorial posts were rejected by the Presidency.
It was learnt that Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo was given only one out of the 46 ambassadorial slots submitted to the Senate for confirmation last week.
Governors, APC leaders and ministers, who are party leaders in states where the governing party is not in control, were sidelined in the appointments.
Senate President Bukola Saraki was also given one of the two nominees – Prof. Mohammed G. Yisa – from Kwara State.
According to New Telegraph, the Chief of Staff to the president, Mallam Abba Kyari and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babagana Kingibe, played prominent role in the selection process. Even the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, was said to have no input in the list of the nominees.
A source said that Onyeama cannot complain because the president’s chief of staff facilitated his appointment as minister. Kyari and Onyeama are friends and classmates at Cambridge. Onyeama was Kyari’s best man at his wedding.
One of the APC governors lamented that the president failed to carry leaders along in appointments.
“The appointment of the ambassadors is a continuation of the policy to sideline the governors. When the minister from my state was picked, I was not consulted. And when it is time for the ambassadorial appointment, they did not consider my nominee. This is a party we all worked to build.
“I have spoken to quite a number of my colleague governors, it is the same thing. “To us, we believe the president has his own game plan. I’m sure he is building a separate structure for himself. When you sideline governors and party leaders in appointments, then it means you are up to something.
“I can tell you conveniently that most of the party leaders, especially governors, are not happy with the president over his choice of appointment,” a governor told New Telegraph.
Many party leaders are saying Mr President is treating them like outcasts in the scheme of things.
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