DSS Screens Odimegwu, Dambazzau, Utomi Others; Why Buhari Is Appointing Femi Falana Attorney General

A Former Managing Director of the Nigerian Breweries Limited, Mr Festus Odimegwu and a former Presidential candidate, Prof. Pat Utomi, are among the ministerial nominees that have been screened by the Department of State Service.

Punch Newspaper is reporting that those already said to have been screened as nominees for President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet include a  former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinloya; and a Lagos based lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN).

Also on the list are former Chief of Army, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazzau (retd); an ex-chief executive of the Federal Inland Revenue Service Mrs Ifueko Omoigui-Okaru; a former commissioner in Lagos State, Mr Wale Edun and a former National Legal adviser to the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

The screening of the nominees had been concluded as at Friday but they’ve been warned (those cleared) not to leak out the details to press men.

Multiple sources tell Punch Newspaper that Falana was favoured by a camp in the APC to emerge as the Attorney General and Minister of Justice but Ekiti APC members are beginning to grumble as he is not a party member. The APC has three former governors in Ekiti State: Niyi Adebayo, Segun Oni and Kayode Fayemi.

A top APC Chieftain said the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had convinced Buhari to appoint Falana.

According to Tinubu and Osinbajo, appointing Falana who he jailed over 30 years ago, would boost his image as a “converted democrat”

It was learnt that Malami was however, favoured by the President himself while Odimegwu is suspected to have been nominated by former President Obasanjo. Odimegu fell out with former President Goodluck Jonathan when he openly criticised the Federal Government.

Two weeks to the March 28 election, Odimegwu openly openly supported Buhari and called him “the best man for the Job”.