FOLLOWING the release of the list of transition committee members for the Inauguration of the government of President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos State, and a commissioner, Joe Igbokwe, has reacted to what he called ‘the exclusion of Igbos in the transition committee.
He expressed disbelief that Tinubu excluded Igbos from his transition committee. Tinubu had forwarded a 12-man list in addition to the earlier transition committee lists sent to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss mustapha.
It was observed that the Southeast was excluded from the list submitted to Mustapha.
In the 14-member list of the PTC, Bayo Onanuga, will serve as Head of Media and Publicity while the current acting National Deputy Chairman (North) of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Abubakar Kyari, will coordinate and direct the committee’s finance and budget.
Also, Col. Abdulazeez Yar’Adua, younger brother of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, was nominated as the head of security and ceremonial parade for the inauguration.
Others are: Executive Director of Nigeria Export-Import Bank, Stella Okotete (Secretariat, Planning and Monitoring); APC National Women Leader, Dr Betta Edu (Medical Team); former governorship aspirant in Ekiti, Makinde Araoye (Venue, Parade and Swearing in); ex-Director General of National Broadcasting Commission, Dr. Danladi Bako (Inauguration Lecture) and Zainab Marwa-Abubakar, daughter of the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), who will anchor the pre-Inauguration dinner and gala night.
Also on the list are: Samira Saddik (Children’s Day), Abuh Andrew Abuh (Accommodation), Hajiya Hadiza Mohammed Kabir (Transportation and Logistics), Donald Wokoma (Protocol and Invitation), Bishop Adegbite (Church Service) and Imam Faud (Jumat Service.
Tinubu had earlier nominated Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, and a former Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, Olawale Edun as members of the PTC
Reacting, Igbokwe questioned the authenticity of the report claiming Igbos were excluded from the committee.
In a post via his Facebook account, Igbokwe wrote: “Please let someone help me to investigate this: can it be true that Asiwaju Transition Committee was formed without any single Igbo on the list? I’d not want to believe it is true. May it not be true.”
The President-elect Bola Tinubu is expected back to the country today after about a month abroad on what his media team said was a vacation to rest after exhaustive campaign and election season.
