GEJ Shops for New Chief of Staff, Considers South-West Zone

 

President Goodluck Jonathan may consider a candidate to replace sacked Chief of Staff, Mike Ogiadomhe, from the South-West geo-political zone.

The President’s plan to pick a replacement from the South-West is reportedly borne out of the cries of marginalization by the zone in the area of federal appointments.

None of the six states in the zone is controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party of the President.

Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti and Oyo states are under control of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), while Ondo state is governed by the Labour Party.

However, leaders of the party in the zone have repeatedly pressed GEJ’s administration to address alleged marginalisation of the region.

Therefore, the President is determined to appease the people of the zone with the CoS position, especially with the 2015 general elections approaching.

Premium Times reported that the President was asking for nominations from top PDP leaders from the zone, has already reached some Yoruba leaders asking them to nominate suitable candidates for this position. The President has also allegedly consulted is the former vice presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, in the 2011 presidential election, Tunde Bakare.

In fact, President Jonathan began search for Mike Oghiadomhe’s replacement several months ago, administration insiders say.

As concerns the South-West geo-political zone then apart from a few ministerial positions, the highest positions in the federal administration ceded to the zone are those of the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives occupied by Mulikat Akande from Oyo State and National Secretary of the party, Wale Oladipo from Osun State.

The zone was billed to produce the Speaker of the House in 2011, but that arrangement was aborted by the emergence of Aminu Tambuwal from Sokoto in the North West zone for the position and Emeka Ihedioha from Imo State, in the South East zone, as Deputy Speaker.

It would be recalled that Mr. Ogiadomhe resigned his appointment in controversial circumstances on February 10, 2014, as there were indications that he was forced to do so by Mr. Jonathan, who allegedly was no longer comfortable working with him.

Presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati, who confirmed the resignation of the former CoS, however said Mr. Ogiadomhe resigned to enable him to run for an elective office.

According to Mr. Abati, Mr. Ogiadomhe acted in obedience to the call by the President to members of his cabinet who have political ambitions to quit.