President Bola Tinubu's recent cabinet reshuffle, notably granting Ogun State four ministerial appointments, has sparked nationwide debate on equitable representation. The reshuffle included the renaming of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development to the Ministry of Regional Development, the dissolution of the Ministry of Sports Development, and the merging of the Ministries of Tourism and Arts and Culture into the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy. Additionally, Tinubu reassigned 10 ministers to new portfolios, dismissed five, and nominated seven new candidates pending Senate confirmation.
Among the appointees from Ogun are Dr. Jumoke Oduwole (proposed Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment), Wale Edun (Minister of Finance), Dr. Adekunle Salako (Minister of State for Health), and Bosun Tijani (Minister of Communications and Digital Economy), marking the highest representation of any state in Tinubu’s cabinet. The appointments have drawn concerns, with some calling for adherence to Federal Character principles, which advocate balanced representation among states. However, Senate Committee Chairman Allwell Onyesoh and other legal experts argue that the Constitution mandates a minimum of one minister per state, leaving additional appointments at the President’s discretion.
This cabinet reshuffle also signals Tinubu's cost-cutting measures, limiting officials to three vehicles and reducing entourage sizes, reflecting his ongoing efforts to reduce government expenditure.
