The Presidency has confirmed that a cabinet reshuffle is imminent, with up to 11 ministers potentially being removed from their positions.
This announcement was made during a media briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
O’tega Ogra, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media, added that while no specific timeline was given, the reshuffle could be announced later this week.
Insiders speaking with *The Guardian* noted that the reshuffle was delayed following Monday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting. Onanuga mentioned that President Bola Tinubu intends to make changes but could not confirm if they would occur before the Independence Day celebration on October 1.
Among those rumored to be at risk is Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila. It is suggested that former minister Babatunde Fashola or current principal secretary Hakeem Muri-Okunola could replace him.
Additionally, Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, is expected to receive a junior minister in Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee.
The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, led by Betta Edu, is also under scrutiny due to allegations of corruption, with the possibility of the ministry being scrapped altogether.
Ministers like Bosun Tijani (Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy), Ishak Salaco (State, Environment and Ecological Management), Atiku Bagudu (Budget and Economic Planning), Doris Anite (Industry, Trade and Investment), and Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (Interior) are also reportedly at risk in the reshuffle.
The reshuffle is expected to involve both dismissals and reassignments, with ministers underperforming in their roles facing removal.
Speculation about the reshuffle has circulated since Tinubu’s first year in office, as there has been widespread dissatisfaction with the cabinet’s performance amid economic difficulties.