A power tussle between the new APC Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje and Seyi Tinubu, the more popular son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the reason the President eventually removed the name of the young woman from Kano, Maryam Shetty from his cabinet list.
The President’s decision to withdraw Shetty and replace her with Dr. Mariya Mahmud Bunkure on Friday, August 4, 2023, has raised considerable eyebrows online and in political circles in Abuja.
Despite lacking any public service experience or political background, Shetty’s nomination was supported by Seyi Tinubu and other young individuals in President Tinubu’s camp who viewed her as a young professional who belongs to no side in the ongoing Ganduje-Kwankwaso power play in the state.
Aso Villa sources confirmed on Friday to Quest Times that Shetty had become very well-known to individuals close to then APC Flagbearer Tinubu especially right after the party primaries. It was because Seyi Tinubu could attest to her contributions and her father’s resolve to make young people cabinet ministers that made the President’s son to add Shetty’s name to the ministerial list, which was being compiled by Chief of Staff. But all of these moves were completely unknown to Ganduje at the time. However, in the end Ganduje won the fight.
QUEST TIMES can report that President Tinubu thought he had settled Kano state by picking Maryam Shetty, and Abdullahi T Gwarzo, his close ally who ran for Kano governor under the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011, as both candidates aren’t prominent members of either Ganduje or Kwankwanso political blocs in Kano.
However, Shetty’s rather sudden emergence as a nominee sparked tensions in the camp of the new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. Ganduje felt insulted that he was not even consulted by Seyi nor the Chief of Staff before Shetty’s nomination.
According to authoritative sources, Ganduje argued that he should have been consulted, as he could have nominated a female individual who has had a demonstrable and successful public service record from Kano.
His displeasure with Shetty’s nomination prompted him to approach President Tinubu and press for her removal right after he had been sworn in as the new APC Chairman.
Shetty, upon learning of the plot to remove her, attempted to gain favour with the former Governor by posting pictures she had taken with him on social media. Some of her political backers and friends also tried to rally support for her but this only led to the promise by the President to offer her another good appointment soon.
In response to Ganduje’s stance, President Tinubu withdrew Shetty’s nomination and nominated Dr. Mariya Mahmud Bunkure instead. Mariya served as a Commissioner for Higher Education in Kano.
Maryam Shetty, a 44-year-old is a physiotherapist and a passionate social entrepreneur. Her life journey so far has been remarkable, with academic accomplishments in the United Kingdom and some experiences as part of the medical team during the London Olympics.
Beyond healthcare, Shetty also prides herselt as dedicated to social change, earning a Kingian Non-Violence practitioner certificate from Emory University and a certificate in Public Policy Challenges of the 21st Century from the University of Virginia.
Shetty was member of the Presidential Campaign Team for the Tinubu campaign, where it was said she worked hard. Her contributions to the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council were noteworthy according to sources.
The decision to replace Shetty with Mariya, another female from Kano comes as President Tinubu is trying to carefully navigate the political landscape in Kano, a state which might remain crucial to his chances of re-election in 2027.
Dr. Bunkure and Dr. Ganduje have a prior working relationship, as she served as Commissioner for Higher Education in his cabinet when he was the Executive Governor of Kano State during his second term from 2019-2023.
According to an observer “despite her removal as a ministerial nominee, President Tinubu still holds Maryam Shetty in high esteem. There are indications that she may be rewarded with Special Adviser appointment or a leadership position in one of the Ministries, Departments, or Agencies (MDAs).”
