Why Tinubu should rethink, by Adnan Mukhtar

While cabinet reshuffles are a time-honored strategy for maintaining leadership balance, addressing poor performance, and evaluating metrics, they can also consolidate power. However, mistakes can have far-reaching consequences, including the loss of valuable knowledge, the interruption of ongoing projects, the demotivation of executors and, ultimately, a tarnished government image and credibility.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s long-awaited ministerial reshuffle has finally arrived, resulting in the dismissal of five ministers, the appointment of seven newer ones and the redeployment of ten.

While cabinet reshuffles are a time-honored strategy for maintaining leadership balance, addressing poor performance, and evaluating metrics, they can also consolidate power. However, mistakes can have far-reaching consequences, including the loss of valuable knowledge, the interruption of ongoing projects, the demotivation of executors and, ultimately, a tarnished government image and credibility.

Considering Nigeria’s complex political landscape, it is understandable that some ministers who performed poorly in President Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” administration were spared, but it is quite regrettable that some ministers considered loyal, politically relevant and technically competent were also dropped.

Take, for example, Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo. In Nigeria, a state minister typically supports a chief minister, overseeing specific departments, agencies or projects within the ministry. They also coordinate with key stakeholders, representing the chief minister in various capacities. Despite this, I am still struggling to find any fault on Gwarzo’s part that would justify his dismissal. I feel very excited about this because he is one of the few good technocrats from my home state of Kano, who many of us admire for the difference he aimed to make in governance. I am also deeply hurt because he is from my part of the state.

It turns out that AT Gwarzo is a distinguished gentleman and grassroots politician, who rose from local government chairman to deputy governor, state party chairman and eventually minister. His vast experience and exemplary performance in his ministerial role are indisputable.

Since his appointment as Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development on August 21, 2023, Gwarzo has worked tirelessly to align his mandate with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Together with Minister Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, he developed a roadmap to revitalize the housing and urban development sector. This led to the formation of four reform work teams within the reestablished Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

Additionally, Gwarzo and Dangiwa launched the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates program, which was initiated in thirteen states and the FCT, generating an average of 6,250 jobs per location.

Gwarzo has represented Nigeria at major international forums, including the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai and the African Urban Forum in Addis Ababa. He also led the country’s delegation to Madrid, Spain, where he negotiated a partnership to develop Nigeria’s Social Housing Program.

He played a key role at the Munich Housing Expo, where he showcased the achievements of Nigeria’s housing sector and sought collaboration from international partners. Gwarzo also helped organize the 2024 Crop and Economic Tree Compensation Review, the first of its kind in sixteen years, advocating for an upward review of rates.

In addition to his ministerial duties, Gwarzo facilitated the enrollment of thousands of Kano State indigenes into the Presidential Conditional Grants Program and helped efficiently distribute food palliatives through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

With such achievements, the question remains: where did AT Gwarzo fail?

Even if the decision to replace him with another Kano representative was politically motivated, it is difficult to justify how Ogun State, with four ministers, has more representation than Kano, the largest political base in the North, which now has just two ministers . This discrepancy raises concerns of regional bias.

Although some argue that Gwarzo’s removal may have been due to political dynamics in Kano North, this reasoning does not hold water when loyalty and performance are taken into account. Gwarzo’s contributions extend beyond Kano North; he represents the entire state of Kano, the North West and by extension, northern Nigeria.

Gwarzo has always been a staunch defender of President Tinubu’s interests, even to the detriment of his own political ambitions. It is well documented that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso opposed Gwarzo’s senatorial aspirations due to his loyalty to Tinubu during the 2015 APC primaries.

Compared to other ministers such as Ibrahim Geidam, the Minister of Police Affairs, Gwarzo’s performance as a minister of state has been exemplary. So why was it removed? Some sources suggest that the sectional arguments raised by the Deputy President of the Senate influenced Tinubu’s decision, but it is likely that Tinubu will now realize the error in this move.

Gwarzo, affectionately known as “Ruwa Baba”, is a beloved figure in Kano State where his popular presence is felt far and wide. His influence is not limited to a single senatorial district.

President Tinubu could have added Yusuf Ata to the cabinet without dismissing Abdullahi Gwarzo. Given Kano’s central role in the emergence of Tinubu, the state deserves the same representation as Ogun. Revoking Gwarzo would be a strategic move.

There is precedent for leaders removing valuable appointees. During World War II, Winston Churchill renamed Lord Beaverbrook after realizing the detrimental effects of his dismissal. Napoleon Bonaparte similarly reinstated Marshal Davout, and modern companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft have rehired key individuals for their experience.

Such actions demonstrate the importance of recognizing and correcting errors. President Tinubu should reconsider Gwarzo’s dismissal, not just for political correctness, but to safeguard Kano’s support and ensure the continued success of his administration.

Adnan Mukhtar is a political commentator and university professor. He writes from Abuja.