No one saw it coming. When his name was announced as a Ministerial nominee, many had thought Dele Alake who had earlier been appointed as Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy by President Bola Tinubu will be assigned the portfolio as Minister of Information.
In fact, during his screening at the National Assembly, many of the senators had asked Alake how he will combat the scourge of fake news if he becomes the Minister of Information.
In his response, Alake said strengthening social media regulations has become imperative in Nigeria. He also said regulations must be strengthened and tested to ensure that social media is not used in a manner that threatens the internal security of the country.
However, many Nigerians were shocked when the portfolios were assigned to the incoming Ministers earlier in the week, Alake was named as the Minister of Solid Minerals.
Credible sources in Aso Villa informed QUEST TIMES that Alake, a former Commissioner for Information in Lagos state during President Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos state governor was greatly ‘shocked and unhappy’ by the development as he had thought the president will assign him to the Information ministry.
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It was also gathered that the intrigues that forced Alake out was hatched by some powerful forces in the villa, which was spearheaded by the office of the Chief of Staff to the President, headed by Femi Gbajabiamila, immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives.
QUEST TIMES also gathered that while some associates of Tinubu were pushing for former Osun state governor, Gboyega Oyetola as Chief of Staff, the first lady, Oluremi Tinubu and Gbajabiamila’s mother prevailed on Tinubu to choose Gbajabiamila for the position, a situation Alake was not comfortable with.
“Gbajabiamila was still speaker when President Tinubu was sworn-in as president and moved to the Villa. So, Dele Alake was the man in charge of the villa, always around the president” our source, a serving member of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) said.
“ When information got to Alake that Gbajabiamila will be announced as Chief of Staff, he was said to have been incensed and said how could Gbajabiamila who was still living in the United States when they were cabinet members with Tinubu in Lagos state could be named as Chief of Staff?
“When Gbajabiamila eventually came to the Villa, he started looking for ways to assert his authority as Chief of Staff and to reduce Alake’s closeness to the President. In fact, it was Gbajabiamila that brought Ajuri Ngelale to replace Alake as Special Adviser to the president on Media to the President when Alake was named as Minister”.
“Immediately Ajuri’s name was announced, the Chief of Staff asked Alake to submit the key to his office as the new media aide will be in need of the office”.
“They know as Minister of Information, Alake will still be having some direct access to the president as the mouthpiece of the federal government. But as Minister of Solid Minerals, he will only be on the field. The only time he can come into the villa is when they have a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting”.
” Infact what Alake wanted was Ministry of Information and Communications just like it was in late Dora Akunyili’s time and he almost got it. Then they brought in Bosun Tijani to show the president that he can do better with Communications and Digital Economy”.
At Ekiti State, the people of the state are also unhappy with Alake for making the state lose the Special Adviser position which has been given to Ajuri Ngelale who is from Rivers state”
” The people of Ekiti state, especially those who are APC members are unhappy with him. They believe his ambition to become Minister has made them lost a key position that would have come to the State. If Alake had remained as Special Adviser, then automatically the president will still nominate a Minister from Ekiti State”.
” He was given the slot of Ekiti State but those in APC in the State are claiming he is a Lagos-based politician who has not contributed anything significant to the development of the party in the state” our source said.