Buhari Won’t Be Petroleum Minister, Says Spokesman

President Muhammadu Buhari will leave the post of petroleum minister vacant after signaling that he would take the position, according to his media spokesman.

“He can’t be president and oil minister at the same time,” Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the president on media and publicity, told Bloomberg by phone on Monday from Abuja.

“He will supervise the ministry, so there will be no petroleum minister. Maybe he will appoint a minister of state, which is a junior minister.”

Nigeria’s Senate will begin vetting Buhari’s cabinet nominees on Tuesday. The 72-year-old former military ruler sent a list of 21 names to lawmakers last week, without saying which portfolios the candidates would get.

The list included four former governors, the head of the state oil company, Emmanuel Kachikwu, and Kemi Adeosun, tipped by several analysts to be the finance minister.
(TRIBUNE)