After being sworn in on May 29, 2015, there was eager anticipation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet to drive his change agenda. It took until October 6, 2015 for a partial list of 21 names to be sent to the Senate for confirmation.
It took the President almost two months after being sworn in for a second term to name his ministers. He sent the list of 43 nominees to the Senate on July 23, 2019.
At the state level, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, sworn in on November 27, 2014, for a second term, ran the state for over two years with only his Deputy, the Chief of Staff, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and the permanent secretaries.
It was on May 30, 2017, that he assigned portfolios to the 38 commissioners and Special Advisers, nine of whom served during his first tenure.
On why he took so long to appoint commissioners, the governor had said: “It is clear that appointments bring a burden on any government; so, at any particular point in time, the fewer the number of those who are in government, the lower the cost of running the government.”
Over seven months after he was sworn in for a second term, Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki is yet to name his Executive Council. He was inaugurated on November 12, 2020.
He told reporters last month: “We spent the last six months trying to restructure the process of government, particularly the civil service because no matter how great a cabinet is, if the government and the functions of government are not operating properly, the executive cannot function optimally.”
His deputy, Philip Shaibu, said the governor was yet to constitute his exco because he was consulting widely.
Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who was sworn in on February 24 for a second term, has appointed only four commissioners so far. He sent the members for approval on march 4.
