In a surprising turn of events, President Bola Tinubu withdrew the ministerial nomination of Maryam Shettima, popularly known as Maryam Shetty, on Friday, August 4, 2023.
During the plenary session, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, made the unexpected announcement, revealing that Tinubu had replaced Shetty with another nominee from the North-West state, Mariya Mahmoud.
Adding to the drama, it was revealed that Shetty had already arrived at the National Assembly for her screening just moments before the announcement was made.
Shetty had been selected by Tinubu from a pool of 19 other nominees in the second batch of ministerial candidates sent to the upper legislative chamber earlier that week.
However, her nomination sparked mixed reactions on social media, with critics dismissing her as a mere TikTok influencer.
Interestingly, the replacement nominee, Mariya Mahmoud, isn’t a stranger to Shetty. Records show that the two have a history of academic camaraderie, having been classmates from Junior Secondary School (JSS) 1 to JSS 3 at Kano Foundation Secondary School. They later attended Bayero University, Kano (BUK), where Shetty pursued Physiotherapy and Mahmoud pursued Medicine and Surgery. They both shared the faculty of Medical Sciences and took some courses together.
Mahmoud is not new to the government scene either. She previously served as a commissioner under former Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, and is believed to be close to the Ganduje family. Her connection extends to Amina Ganduje, one of the influential daughters of the current All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman.
Amina Ganduje, a Medical Doctor who graduated from the University of Maiduguri, worked with Mahmoud at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH).
As Nigerians continue to process this sudden change in ministerial nomination, several questions are raised about the criteria used in selecting candidates for such crucial positions and the influence of personal connections in politics.