Tinubu Removes Aregbesola’s Ally, Replaces Him With Oyetola’s Loyalist As NPC Commissioner

• Seeks Approval For Five CBN Board Directors

President Bola Tinubu has written the Senate for the confirmation of Dr. Hamidu Rahim Tadese, an ally of the former Governor of Osun State and now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, to replace Senator Mudashiru Husain as a Federal Commissioner for the National Population Commission (NPC) representing Osun State.

Tinubu said the request followed the provisions of Section 154, Subsection 1, of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, referred the request to the Senate Committee on National Population and National Identity for further legislative work and to report back to plenary in one week.

Osun Defender reports that Tinubu sent the names of Sen. Husain and 8 others to the Senate on November 8, 2023, for confirmation of their re-appointment as NPC commissioners, after their first appointment by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari in 2020. Among the 9 people whose appointments were re-confirmed, only Husain was singled out for removal, raising concerns about the ‘dirty’ politics behind it.

The number of federal commissioners on the board of the National Population Commission (NPC) rose to 36 due to compliance with Federal Character to allow each state to have a representative each, after an amendment was passed by the National Assembly.

It would be recalled that Husain’s reappointment generated an uproar in the deeply divided Osun APC, with supporters of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, a relative of the President, protesting his reappointment over his closeness to the immediate-past Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Similarly, President Tinubu also asked the Senate to confirm the appointment of five persons as directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria board.

According to him, the names presented for confirmation complied with the provisions of Section 6, Subsection 1b, and Section 10 Subsections 1 and 2 of the CBN Establishment Act, 2007.

He wrote, “I am pleased to present, for confirmation by the Senate, the appointment of the under-listed five persons as Directors of the Board of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“Robert Agbide, Ado Wanga, Muritala Sagaley, Urom Eke, and Olayinka Aliyu.

“While hoping that the request will receive the expeditious consideration of the Senate, please accept the distinguished Senate President’s assurance of my highest regards.”