The proposed cabinet reshuffle by President Umaru Yar’Adua may have started creating ripples in different ministries in view of reports that the President was set to make a sweeping reorganisation.

Against this background, activities in most ministries and parastatal agencies in Abuja have been low keyed as observed since last week, even as most ministers were not in their offices on Monday by midday when the our correspondent visited the Federal Secretariat.

Indications that most of the ministries would not be vibrant until after the cabinet shake-up emerged with the postponement of major assignments by certain ministers for fear of being embarrassed after a sudden announcement of cabinet changes.

Some ministers’ aides who spoke on the state of suspense of their respective ministers said that the ministers were looking towards tomorrow’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting with the expectations that the Presidency would resolve the issue once and for all thereafter.


It was the general consensus among civil servants who commented that if nothing happens after the FEC meeting, the President may not afterall embark on any major cabinet shake-up because the year is coming to an end.


There have been reports that President Yar’Adua has resolved finally to shake up his cabinet based on the reported low performance of the cabinet as currently constituted, even as the Presidency is said to be shopping for technocrats to form the new cabinet.


It was also reported that President Yar’Adua had been involved personally in the screening of candidates pencilled in for cabinet appointments, while the Special Adviser to the President on Communications, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, was quoted as saying that Yar’Adua’s government was serious about effecting a cabinet change.


The last FEC meeting had approved the de-merging of some ministries against the policy of the last government while it created the ministry of Niger Delta

Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) Chairman Justice Abdulfatai Afolabi Adeyinka (rtd) has condemned last Monday’s invasion of the commission’s headquarters by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Chairman, who was addressing a press conference at the commission’s office in Yaba yesterday, said the invasion was a dangerous dimension in the emerging democracy in Nigeria.

"The PDP came to the commission in large number yesterday (Monday) with fully armed Mobile policemen and thugs, apparently to cause mayhem, crisis and confusion to the on-going validation exercise."

Justice Adeyinka also refuted PDP’s allegation that LASIEC rejected its candidates for screening on Monday as reported by a national daily yesterday.

"LASIEC wishes to state that the allegation is baseless, unfounded and spurious as their candidates were not slated for screening yesterday as per the time-table of the commission for the validation exercise and they were duly informed," Justice Adeyinka said.

He also wondered why the PDP was harassing the commission when it has instituted an action against the electoral body in court.

The PDP, the chairman said, collected forms for both the 20 local governments areas and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs), but returned only the ones for the 20 local governments and the party was told in writing that it must return the other forms for the 37 LCDAs whether completed or not before the commission could accept the other forms.

Political parties, he said, can contest election in any number of Local governments or LCDAs of their choice as it is not compulsory that they must field candidates in all the local councils, but they must however return the number of forms collected from the commission whether completed or not.

The LASIEC boss, however, assured all that the preparations for the Saturday 11the October local council polls were going on peacefully.

He said 31political parties, including the PDP, collected the LASIEC nomination forms, while 28 of them indicated their intention to participate in the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs.

"Twenty-five political parties have so far returned their nomination forms and their list of candidates who are undergoing screening by Validation Committee of the commission."

The register of voters’ is to be displayed in all the local councils. "Eligible voters who registered with INEC during the last Voters’ registration should seize this opportunity by going to check their names where they registered," Justice Adeyinka said. The exercise will be on for 14 days.