By Chijioke Kingsley
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom WIke survives the cabinet reshuffle of President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday wherein 5 ministers were relieved of their appointments.
Wike survives the cabinet reshuffle amidst calls from some quarters for his removal from the federal cabinet.
Sundiata Post gathered that most of his political opponents were expectant of his removal as the FCT minister by the president.
While some stakeholders were discontented with Wiké’s unmitigated political intransigence, some officers in the Presidency were said to have felt that the said minister was adding nuisance value to the Tinubu administration, being construed to have constituted an attack dog against notable politicians, generating unnecessary conflicts in the polity. These officers were said to have sought his removal from the membership of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) by President Tinubu.
However, Wike had been cautious in his political antagonism, refraining from insulting or attacking northern leaders.
Sundiata Post further gathered that the minister was aware that President Tinubu would not tolerate attack on any northern elder by his appointees, and, thus, the FCT minister is being guided by this awareness.
Wike has been the nucleus of the boiling pot in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including the political turmoil in Rivers State government.
Before the cabinet reshuffle, there had been appeals from certain elders from the southeast that President Tinubu should not remove the FCT Minister, Wike, and the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, from the federal cabinet. The elders had considered the duo as potent representatives of the south in the federal government.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu fired five ministers in his cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday. They include the Minister of Education Professor Tahir Mamman; Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju-Ken Ohanenye; the Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John; the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo; abd the Minister of Youth Development, Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim.
The President nominated 7 new ministers for screening and approval by the senate.