Makinde, Nwifuru reshuffle cabinets, Yahaya submits 23 nominees

July 1, 2026 12:26 am

Ademola Adegbite, Samuel Omotere and Chima Azubuike

Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi) on Tuesday announced new appointments while carrying out cabinet reshuffles in their respective states.

This comes as the Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, forwarded a list of 23 commissioner-nominees to the state House of Assembly for screening and confirmation as part of efforts to reconstitute the State Executive Council.

In Oyo State, a letter by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Segun Ogunwuyi, conveyed the nomination of Permanent Secretary, General Administration, Olabode Ladipo, as commissioner-nominee.

Makinde also announced the appointment of Ifeoluwa Akande as the Chairman of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport Upgrade Committee.

Other appointments are Isola Adekunle as Executive Adviser, Intra-Party Affairs; and Oladejo Oladokun as Part-Time member, Local Government Service Commission.

The appointments, according to the letter, are effective July 1.

In the plethora of appointments, Makinde also reappointed members of the governing council of the Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa, led by its chairman, Prof Kazeem Adebiyi.

Prof Adebiyi was appointed on March 24, 2025, to serve out the term of the former Chairman, Prof Abiodun Ojo, who died last year.

The council members reappointed are Johnson Oladele, Azeem Badmus, Oyetayo Ige, Alice Adedokun and Waziri Adekunle.

In Ebonyi State, a cabinet shuffle followed the swearing-in of two new commissioners, Omari Omaka and Sylvester Nwenu Nwite, and Felix Njoku as Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Mobilisation.

Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Ikeuwa Omebeh, briefed journalists on the reshuffling after the state executive council meeting in Abakaliki.

Under the new arrangement, Omaka was appointed Commissioner for Tertiary Education, while Nwite was assigned to head the Ministry of Environment.

Others include Chidiebere Onyia, who moved from the Ministry of Solid Mineral Development to the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, while Ajuka Nwogo was transferred from the Ministry of Market Development to the Ministry of Skill Acquisition.

Richard Idike was redeployed from the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to the Ministry of Capital City and Urban Development, while Sunday Inyima was moved from the Ministry of Capital City and Urban Development to the Ministry of Project Monitoring.

Ngozi Obichukwu was transferred from the Ministry of Aviation to the Ministry of Special Projects; Magnus Nka was moved from the Ministry of Water Resources to the Ministry of Solid Mineral Development.

Furthermore, Victor Chukwu was reassigned from the Ministry of Environment to the Ministry of Water Resources, while Okwu Udu was redeployed to head the Ministry of Market Development.

Nwifuru directed that all handing-over and taking-over processes be concluded by the close of work on Tuesday.

Commissioners who retained their portfolios included Ben Odoh (Justice), Ikeuwa Omebeh (Information and State Orientation), Stanley Ogbuewu (Culture and Tourism), Donatus Ilang (Primary and Secondary Education), Elechi Nnanna Elechi (Trade and Investment), Jude Okpor (Rural Development), Oguzor Nwali (Commerce and Industry), Solomon Azi (Grants and Donor Agencies), Collins Igboke (Transportation) and Chinwe Okah (Budget and Planning).

Responding to questions on whether the reshuffle was prompted by poor performance, Omebeh said it was instead aimed at repositioning the administration for greater efficiency.

“This is not about non-performance or removing anyone from office. It is about deploying people to ministries where their expertise and experience can be better utilised in the interest of the state,” he said.

According to Channels TV, the governor considered the professional backgrounds, experience and comparative advantages of each commissioner before approving the redeployments.

On concerns over the absence of a commissioner for the Ministry of Aviation following Obichukwu’s redeployment, Omebeh said the ministry had not been scrapped but would continue to operate under its Permanent Secretary pending further directives.

He maintained that the cabinet reshuffle would inject fresh energy into governance and improve policy implementation across ministries in the state.

The Gombe governor’s nominations were contained in a letter dated June 29, 2026, addressed to the Speaker of the House, Abubakar Mohammed Luggerewo, in accordance with Section 192(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Director-General of Press Affairs, Government House, Gombe, Ismaila Misilli.

The nominees are Alhaji Abdulkadir Mohammed Waziri, Alhaji Sanusi Ahmed, Hajiya Aishatu Mohammed Bose Ahmed, Bala Adams, Mr Micah Sunday Hamman, Mohammed Saidu Mohammed, L.D. Faruk, Muhammad Gambo Magaji, Prof Aishatu Umaru Maigari, Zubairu M. Umar, Adamu Dishi Kupto, Shehu Yerima Abdullahi, Ibrahim Shehu Turaki, Sani Ahmed Haruna, Moses Kyari Bolda, Yusuf K. Jalingo, Dr Usman Maijama’a Kallamu, Prof Danladi Adamu Bojude, Alhaji Salihu Baba Alkali, Dr Bertha Danja, Dr Habu Dahiru, Nasiru Muhammad Aliyu and Yusuf Abdu Kwadon.

According to the statement, the governor sought the Assembly’s approval for the appointments to strengthen his administration’s policy formulation and implementation.

The statement quoted Yahaya as saying that the nominees were “carefully selected to provide policy direction and functional contributions necessary for the efficient running of the machinery of government and the consolidation of the administration’s development agenda.”

The governor also expressed confidence that the lawmakers would give the request expeditious consideration.

The Assembly is expected to begin screening the nominees in the coming days.

Upon confirmation, they will be sworn in by the governor and assigned portfolios to oversee various ministries as members of the state executive council.

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