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Acting Nigerian President's Cabinet Nominees to Face Senate Confirmation
Monday

   Professor Kabiru Mato says the confirmation is unlikely to produce any
   surprises  because  many  of  the  nominees are coming from Yar'Adua's
   dissolved cabinet

   James Butty | Washington, DC 29 March 2010
   Nigeria's  Acting  President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja. The country's
   parliament  has  named  Jonathan  acting  leader while President Umaru
   Yar'Adua  remains  hospitalized  in  Saudi  Arabia (November 2009 file
   photo)

Photo: AFP

   Nigeria's Acting President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.

   In  Nigeria,  acting President Goodluck Jonathanâs newly reconstituted
   federal  cabinet  is  expected  to  go  before  the  Senate Monday for
   confirmation.

   University  of  Abuja Political Science Professor Kabiru Mato said the
   confirmation is unlikely to produce any surprises because many members
   of   the  new  cabinet  are  returning  from  ailing  President  Umaru
   YarâAduaâs dissolved cabinet.

   âI  donât think that Nigerians should expect anything extraordinary. I
   expect  that  most of the nominees are going to sail through because a
   quite a number of them were former members of the Senate and the House
   of Representatives,â he said.

   But  Mato  said  he  expects  some  of  the  nominees  to face serious
   questioning.

   âVery  prominent  among  them  is  Senator Sanusi Daggash who had been
   previously  dropped  in  the  last cabinet shake up of President Umaru
   YarâAdua.  The  members of the National Assembly are very bitter about
   perhaps  the role he played when he was minister for economic planning
   in the early days of President Umaru YarâAdua,â Mato said.

   He  said  former  Information  Minister  Dora Akunyili could also face
   tough questioning from senators.

   âI  also  expect  Professor Akunyili may face some problems in getting
   cleared  by  the  Senate  as  a  result  of the sensational manner she
   addressed  in  the  issue of the ailing president soon before Goodluck
   Jonathan was made the acting president,â he said.

   Mato  said  public opinion among Nigerians is divided about Akunyiliâs
   in the days before Jonathan was made the acting president.

   âSome  groups  say  that  Akunyili  in  fact  acted  a script that was
   supported  by  acting  President  Goodluck Jonathan. On the other hand
   people  were  saying she simply took the position because she expected
   that  perhaps  inevitably  Jonathan  was  going  to be made the acting
   president and so she could secure her position,â Mato said.

   Some  analysts  have suggested that the new cabinet nominees represent
   acting President Jonathanâs outlook for the future of Nigeria.

   Mato said Nigeriaâs future does not lie between 2010 and 2011.

   âThe  ruckus  we  find  ourselves  today in Nigeria which is of course
   anchored  on  the  failure  of legitimacy of those elected officers to
   really  rally  around the populace and say we are your representatives
   is fundamentally different,â Mato said.

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