By Musa Baba Adamu
A former All Progressives Congress, (APC), National Working Committee, (NWC), member, Salihu Lukman, has said it would be like a mirage for the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, (NNPP) Rabiu Kwankwaso to become president.
He said it would take years of building and negotiation for him to be president.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, he urged Kwankwaso to renegotiate his relationship with APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje.
He said: “The ambition of Senator Kwankwaso is to become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Where he is today, I can confidently say that it will be like a mirage for him to be the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“It will take years of building and negotiation across the country which may outlive his lifespan and if we are to fast-track it and open our party for him to come back in such a way that we renegotiate his relationship with Dr Ganduje and across the state.
“We also renegotiate relationships between leaders and bring in new forces, Nigerians are even likely to have more confidence in the party.”
Gov Diri had last week sent a list of 14 Commissioner nominees, including three former assembly members and eight immediate past commissioners, to the Bayelsa State House of Assembly for screening.
The screened nominees include immediate past commissioners, Moses Teibowei (Work and Infrastructure), Biriyai Dambo (Attorney General of Justice), Maxwell Ebibai (Finance), Dr Emelah Gentle (Education), Brodrick Preye (Special Duty East), and Dr Ebieri Jones (Mineral Resources).
Daniel Igali, the immediate Commissioner for Youths and Sports, who is also a nominee, was absent, while Mrs Koku Ebiuwou Obiyai, a former Assembly member, was asked to bow and leave.
Others were George Flint, Komuko Akari Kharin, Perepuighe Biewari, Peter Afagha, Mrs Elizabeth Bidei and a former council chairman, Michael Magbisa.
The commissioner nominees list elicited some form of uproar across the state, as most of the returnee nominees were perceived as people who performed below expectations.
Governor Diri dissolved his cabinet a week after his inauguration on February 14.
The Speaker presided over the screening, which took place at the State House of Assembly complex, Yenagoa.
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