Indications have emerged that the Presidency has reserved the ministerial slot of Anambra State for the outgoing Governor Peter Obi.
Sources told National Mirror yesterday that Obi would fill the vacancy created by the sacking of the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, who hails from Anambra State.
Obi is expected to hand over to the Governor-elect, Chief Willie Obiano, on March 17.
The sources said the Presidency would thereafter send Obi’s name to the Senate for confirmation.
It was learnt that the decision to offer the slot to Obi informed the delay in appointing four new ministers to replace those recently sacked by Jonathan.
National Mirror learnt that the Presidency had lobbied relevant Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders about the development.
But it was not clear if Obi will defect to PDP after emerging as a minister.
One of the sources said: “President Goodluck Jonathan has made up his mind to appoint Anambra State Governor Peter Obi as minister to fill the slot created by the exit of Princess Stella Oduah.
“Mr. President is just waiting for the governor to end his tenure in the next few days to enable him to send his name to the Senate for confirmation. Nigerians are not expected to be surprised about this development because Governor Obi has been romancing with the PDP and Presidency.
“The Presidency is already lobbying all relevant stakeholders in Anambra State, especially PDP to accept its choice of Obi as a minister representing the state.”
Although Obi is a chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), but he has openly identified with Jonathan and the ruling PDP.
Obi is the only governor elected on the APGA platform.
Obi and his Ondo State counterpart, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, who was elected on the platform of Labour Party (LP), are political allies of the PDP and Jonathan’s staunch supporters.
Source: National Mirror
