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Another five ministers will soon be dropped by President Goodluck Jonathan to enable them concentrate on their purported governorship ambition.
The ministers who may take the exit from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) are Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister Senator Bala Mohammed, minister of information and supervising minister of defence Labaran Maku, minister of interior Mr Abba Moro, minister of state for trade and investment Samuel Ortom, minister of labour and productivity Chief Emeka Wogu, and minister of education Mr Nyesom Wike.
There were also indications that former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu will join the Adamawa State governorship race. He was the presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011 and lost to the incumbent President Jonathan.
President Jonathan on February 12, 2014, dropped four ministers to enable them pursue their political ambitions but some of them were indicted by both the National Assembly and other committees for official misconduct.
The sacked ministers were Elder Godsday Orubebe (Niger Delta), Stella Oduah (aviation), Dr Yerima Ngama (state for finance), and Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (police affairs)
A well placed Presidency source disclosed that it was Princess Oduah who was pencilled in for disgrace due to her alleged extravagant lifestyle as manifested in the unlawful purchase of two bullet-proof cars. But the other three were added in order to give her a soft landing, since the other three were among those who are nursing gubernatorial ambition.
“The sack was meant for Stella Oduah who had problems with her lifestyle as reflected in the purchase of the bulletproof cars with Aviation’s money. But Orubebe, Yerima and Caleb were asked to join her in order not to add to her plight,” the source said.
He hinted that, “any moment from now, others with gubernatorial ambition would be asked to go once President Jonathan has made up his mind for his second-term declaration”.
Some political pundits believe the FCT minister might withdraw from the race for political expediency due to the emergence of Alhaji Adamu Muazu as the national chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In 2007, Bala was a political lieutenant to Governor Isa Yuguda when he was aviation minister before they parted ways. And it was Yuguda who pulled down the political structure of Muazu in Bauchi.
Ribadu is set to run for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State once the ban on electioneering is lifted.
Although he has presidential dream, he might, for political expediency, dump the ambition to pursue the governorship ticket until the time is ripe for him go for it.
we learnt that Ribadu was under pressure by APC leaders in Adamawa to vie for the position.
A political associate of the former EFCC boss told our correspondent that Ribadu was under intense pressure from both the national leadership and state stalwarts of the party to contest the gubernatorial seat.
The source hinted that, recently, one of the national leaders of APC from Kaduna State was in Adamawa State to appeal to Ribadu to contest the gubernatorial seat of the state because of the confidence people had in him
