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On Thursday, Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, submitted his long-awaited list of ministerial candidates to the Senate, aiming to adhere to the constitutional 60-day deadline set in March of the current year.

Prior to the submission, there were various speculations surrounding the contents of the list. Many political and economic analysts anticipated the inclusion of individuals who played crucial roles in President Tinubu’s victory during the presidential election held on February 25. Nevertheless, sources close to the presidency clarified that the main focus was on appointing technocrats and accomplished politicians to his cabinet.

Surprisingly, Babatunde Fashola, a trusted ally of President Bola Tinubu, was not among the candidates on the list. Notably, Fashola had previously served in different capacities under Tinubu in Lagos state before becoming the governor of Lagos. From 2015 to 2019, he also served as the Minister of Power, Works, and Housing.

See the full list below:

Abubakar Momoh

Yusuf Tukur

Ahmad Dangiwa

Hannatu Musawa

Uche Nnaji

Betta Edu

Doris Anite Uzoka

David Umahi

Ezenwo Nyesom Wike

Abubakar Badaru

Nasir El Rufai

Ekerikpe Ekpo

Nkiru Nyejeocha

Olubunmi Ojo

Stella Okotete

Uju Kennedy Ohaneye

Bello Muhammad Goronyo

Dele Alake

Lateef Fagbemi

Mohammad Idris

Olawale Edun

Waheed Adebanwo

Iman Suleman Ibrahim

Ali Pate

Joseph Usev

Abubakar Kyari

John Enoh

Sani Abubakar Danladi

Nasir El-Rufai

Nasir El-Rufai, 63, is the immediate past governor of Kaduna State and a founding member of the ruling APC. He served as minister of the Federal Capital Territory from 2003 to 2007 and played a significant role in restructuring the capital city.

Before being appointed minister of the FCT, he was the director of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, a role he played successfully. He was part of the team former President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed to restructure the public service. He was instrumental in selling some underperforming public enterprises, such as NITEL.

El-Rufai, a first-class graduate of quantity surveying from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, championed reforms that led to the establishment of a mortgage system in Nigeria, a National ID card system for Nigeria, Electric Power Supply improvement, and the sale of Federal Government real estate in Abuja.

As governor of Kaduna State, Rufai introduced a school feeding programme to encourage thousands of Children to attend school.

To this day, his school redesign programme remains the most controversial policy of any governor. His education policy forced many teachers out of work, placing him at loggerheads with the teacher’s unions and the Nigeria Labour Congress.

Nyesom Wike

Nyesom Wike, the immediate past governor of oil-rich Rivers State, nicknamed Mr Project by his peers and the media, is also one of the governors with a track record of performance on the list.

Wike isn’t new to power at the federal level, as he was once the Minister of State for Education during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan and only resigned to contest the PDP governorship primaries in Rivers State in 2015.

Born December 13, 1967, the Ikwerre-born lawyer turned politician was a two-time Executive Chairman of Obio Akpor Local Government Area from 1999 to 2007.

He obtained his Bachelor of Law from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology before proceeding to Law School in 1997.

In line with his plans for educational reform, Nyesom Wike declared public primary and secondary education free.

In 2019, Wike, through the State Ministry of Education, announced free registration for participating state locals in the annual JAMB examination.

In 2022, he signed a law measure that strengthens a woman’s right to inherit property. Upon signing the bill, he encouraged women to claim what is theirs and said they should not be afraid to do so because it is their legal right.

During his second term as governor, he completed three significant flyovers simultaneously in Port Harcourt. The locations of the flyovers are Garrison, Rumoukoro, and Artillery.

Henry Dele Alake

Henry Dele Alake, 66, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy, is a journalist turned politician.

The Ekiti State-born politician was commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos State under the government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu between 1999 and 2007.

His journey into the murky waters of Nigerian politics started when he was the communication advisor and close confidant to Chief Moshood Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.

Alake, a skilled journalist and handler of public information, played a crucial role in the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 through his office as the Director of Media and Communication of the Buhari Campaign Organisation.

He held a similar position for the now-president of Africa’s most populous nation when he was the APC presidential flag bearer.

The University of Lagos Political Science graduate contributed in no small measure to establishing Lagos Television (LTV 8) as broadcast editor. He also worked at MKO Concord Press as Editor of the National Concord from 1995 to June 1999.

Alake is a former vice president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. He belongs to several national, regional, and international professional bodies, such as the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the West African Union of Journalists.

He has also received several honours and awards for his meritorious service in journalism