Revealed: How Kano nominee’s name got into ministerial list without Tinubu’s knowledge
The lid has been blown off the clandestine manner in which a former nominee from Kano state, Maryam Shetty, got on the ministerial list without the knowing of President Bola Tinubu.
Tinubu withdrew Shetty’s nomination at the last minute, replacing her with Dr Mariya Bunkure, also from Kano.
In his revelation to journalists on Sunday, Abdullahi Ganduje, the ruling All Progressives Congress national chairman, said Shetty’s “emerged from the top”- a metaphor suggesting influential persons around the president might have included her on the list.
He said, “Maryam Shetty’s name emerged from the top, and since Mr President has the right to do as he wishes and we are his followers, one has to be patient; we did not object to it. As well, she was not well-known to us. We could not appraise her.
“But suddenly, she (Maryam Shetty) came under attack on social media. People questioned her integrity and experience, with many of them doubting her credentials to represent Kano at the national level. There were growing disaffections. The dissatisfaction is not from Ganduje, but the people of Kano.
“President Bola Tinubu’s attention was drawn to the torrent of criticisms greeting Shetty’s nomination. The president asked whether I had nominated Maryam Shetty. I said no. He asked how then her name appeared on the list. I told him I had no idea whatsoever.
“When he asked whether there was a need to replace her, I answered in affirmative, because the ministerial slot requires someone with integrity, knowledge, experience and commitment to the party – what one contributed to the making of the Tinubu administration. To satisfy these requirements, we are in the best position to nominate somebody from Kano. Even if someone recommended somebody, we should have been consulted on the matter.
“For this, we were given a chance to nominate someone from Kano and since the slot was meant for a female, we consulted widely. Females had contributed to our development agenda in Kano State. Dr Mariya Bunkure, my commissioner for higher education, is a certified medical doctor ”
“The clarification is not to insult anybody but to tell the truth of what exactly happened. People questioned her suitability that was why he was dropped, but that does not mean she will not get another appointment.”
