Insights from APC Chairman Ganduje and Maryam Shetty’s Ministerial Nomination

President Tinubu’s initial nomination of Maryam Shetty from Kano State for a ministerial role took an unexpected turn when she was replaced by Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, a former Commissioner of Higher Education in the Ganduje administration.

President Bola Tinubu had removed Shetty from Kano State as a ministerial nominee that was billed for screening.

In a letter to the Senate which was read by the President of the Senate, Godswill  Akpabio on Friday, the President replaced her with Mariya Mahmoud Mairiga Bunkure, a former Commissioner for Higher Education during the governorship tenure of Ganduje in Kano.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Kano State governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, shed light on the reasons behind this change.

Ganduje, speaking on a Hausa program aired on a Kano based radio station, revealed that Shetty’s replacement was influenced by reactions on social media that questioned her competency and made light of her nomination. He emphasized that the president has the prerogative to appoint ministers and consults advisors from different states and sectors.

“In the process of appointing ministers, the president has people who will advise him from different states and the nation at large. Also, the President has the prerogative right to appoint whoever he deems fit as minister… So all of a sudden, we just heard the name… But again, we don’t know her, and since we don’t know her, we can’t vouch for her competency for the job,” Ganduje explained.

Ganduje assured that Shetty’s nomination might be reconsidered for another position in the future. Shetty, in response to the turn of events, expressed her optimism despite the withdrawal of her nomination. She believed that unexpected occurrences were part of life’s journey and viewed it as the divine will of Allah. While acknowledging the setback, she maintained her gratitude to President Tinubu and expressed her commitment to serving Nigeria in any capacity.

Shetty’s nomination was part of a supplementary ministerial list, but before her screening in the Senate, her name was replaced with Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure. Despite this twist, Shetty remains hopeful for her future and urged her supporters to continue praying for the nation and supporting the president’s efforts.

The overall narrative highlights the complexities of political appointments, the role of social media in shaping public perception, and the resilience of individuals like Shetty who remain determined to contribute to their nation’s progress.

In a statement on Saturday about 24 hours after the dramatic twist of events, Shetty said “life, with its characteristic unpredictability, led to the withdrawal of my nomination”.

About one week after his first batch list of 28 ministerial nominees was sent to the Senate, Tinubu, last Wednesday, sent 19 more names to the upper chamber for confirmation as ministers.

Shetty, from Kano State, was one of the nominees in the supplementary ministerial list for confirmation but in a twist of events, just before her screening before the red chamber on Friday, the President removed her name and replaced her with two others — Festus Keyamo and Mariya Mahmoud.

In her statement posted on her verified Facebook page, Shetty said she felt “sheer joy and pride” at my nomination as it was “a validation of my capabilities, a nod to my vision, and a sign that our great nation was ready to embrace a future where young women like me, even from the most traditional parts of Nigeria, can hold positions of influence and power”.

“Yet, life, with its characteristic unpredictability, led to the withdrawal of my nomination. To some, this could seem like a setback, but my faith as a devout Muslim guided my understanding. I saw it as the divine will of Allah, who I believe grants power as He wishes, when He wishes. His plans are always superior to ours.

“Even with this unexpected twist, my gratitude to President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for considering me for such an esteemed position remains undiminished. The journey doesn’t end here; I believe this is a mere stepping stone, the best is yet to come. My resolve to serve my beloved country, Nigeria, in any capacity I can, is stronger than ever.

“I would like to assure my incredible supporters that this is not an end, it is the dawn of a new era I urge all of us to continue praying for our nation and to stand behind our President as he strives to better Nigeria.

“My nomination may have been withdrawn, but my hope is unwavering. As I have often stated, “Hope is not lost; maybe I will come back again.”

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has challenged his opponents to continue their disparaging comments against his wife over the drama that trailed the replacement of one of the ministerial-nominees from Kano.

A high-powered politicking had seen Ganduje triumph in replacing the name of Maryam Shetty with that of his preferred candidate, Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, a friend of his daughter, Amina.

In a viral video that emerged barely 24 hours after the dramatic turn of event, Ganduje could be seen with his wife, Hafsat, and the new ministerial nominee, Bunkure and other women laughing at the mention of the name of Maryam Shetty.

In what seems to be a thank you visit to Ganduje and family, a woman whose face was not captured could be heard saying in Hausa language that “the head has now fit the cap”.

“When we heard that they brought one Maryam, Maryam who?”, to which another voice replied “Shetty”.

At this point, Bunkure, Hafsat Ganduje (popularly referred to as Gwaggo) and Ganduje could all be seen laughing.

“I said who is Shetty? We were confused, I said from where is she from? They said Kano,” the first speaker continued.

In the second video, Ganduje, who was apparently responding could be heard saying “I want them to call out Gwaggo again. They have opened a new chapter of ignorance. We are thankful this one (referring to Bunkure) has joined the caucus.”

Bunkure is a former commissioner for Higher Education during Ganduje’s second term as Kano state governor.

She is also a close associate to the Ganduje family being a friend to Amina, one of Ganduje’s daughter, who was believed to have influenced her nomination as commissioner.

Shetty and Bunkure were classmates at Kano Foundation and later at the University, Bayero University, shared faculty of Medical Sciences and then shared some courses.

The duo also shared group of friends while at the Junior Secondary school and at the University, having been in the same faculty. Shetty read Physiotherapy while Bunkure read Medicine and Surgery.