*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.