There is said to be a heated race for ministerial slots in the southeast of Nigeria as President Buhari begins announcement of critical appointments in his new government

Former labour minister Chris Ngige is reportedly lobbying for a return to the cabinet of President Buhari

Ex-ministers of science and technology Ogbonnaya Onu and trade and investment Okechukwu Enelamah are also said to be eyeing returns as well

The race for ministerial slots of the southeast in President Muhammadu Buhari’s kitchen cabinet is heating up in that region of the country with former governors and ex-ministers leading the ‘battle’.

The Guardian reports that former Labour minister Chris Ngige, ex-foreign affairs minister Geoffrey Onyeama and former Enugu state governor Sullivan Chime are some of the political heavy weights in the race.

While Onyeama, Chime, Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, and a host of others are lobbying for the singular slot in Enugu, Ngige has former federal lawmakers Tony Nwoye and Andy Uba among others to contest with.

In Abia state, former trade and investment minister Okechukwu Enelamah is eyeing a return to the cabinet, Guardian sources said, but has a huge field of former ministers, federal lawmakers and governorship candidate to overcome.

The report quoted a competent source as saying that the APC in the state has not endorsed any of those in the race.

“…we have not endorsed anyone, and you know it is the President’s right to make this nomination. If he seeks our input, we will avail him,” the source said, adding: “whoever is appointed will work for the progress of our party and country in general.”

In Imo, former governor Rochas Okorocha’s deputy, Eze Madumere and All Progress Congress’s governorship candidate in the 2019 election in the state Hope Uzodinma are in the race for the ministerial slot.

In Ebonyi, former science and technology minister Ogbonnaya Onu and former senator Sonnie Ugbuoji are in the race.