Saraki, others may become ministers

Barring last minute changes, President Goodluck Jonathan may send a fresh list of ministerial nominees to the Senate for consideration and approval. Those being touted as possible nominees include, a former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, his counterpart in Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, and Senator Gbemi Saraki from Kwara State. Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the Presidency, in its bid to boost home support for the Peoples Democratic Party in some states, took the decision to pick the politicians as ministers. It was further learnt that the Senate deferred the screening of Hajia Jamila Salik from Kano State last month following a directive from the Presidency that the woman had been dropped to pave the way for Kwakwanso. The Presidency was also said to be considering the nomination of Bafarawa to check the growing popularity of the All Progressives Congress in the state and the rumoured ambition of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, to contest the governorship election in 2015. In the same vein, our correspondent gathered that Saraki, the daughter of the late strongman of Kwara politics, Senator Olusola Saraki, would be a comfortable bridge-builder and accessible rallying point to deliver the state from the APC being led by her elder brother, Bukola.