President Bola Ahmed Tinubu returned to work at the State House in Abuja yesterday after a two-week working vacation in the United Kingdom. Upon his return on Saturday, his first day back was marked by extensive meetings with several key aides, suggesting that a cabinet reshuffle may be on the horizon.

Among the early visitors to the president’s office were National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa. Also present was Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman, the Special Adviser on Policy Coordination and Head of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit, who is tasked with assessing the performance of the president’s appointees, particularly the ministers.

Other notable figures in discussions with Tinubu included Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development; Zacch Adedeji, Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service and Special Adviser to the President on Revenue; and Dave Umahi, the Minister of Works. Senator Godswill Akpabio, President of the Senate, and Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, were among those who met with the president late into the day.

Sources within the Villa have indicated that many of those who met with Tinubu play significant roles in the economy or have responsibilities related to political performance evaluations. Since the outset of his administration, Tinubu has hinted at the possibility of removing appointees deemed unproductive or underperforming.

The likelihood of an imminent cabinet reshuffle was bolstered by Ms. Bala-Usman’s presence at the president’s office. The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and Senior Special Assistant on Digital and New Media, O’tega Ogra, previously informed journalists on September 25 that Tinubu was considering restructuring his cabinet. Onanuga mentioned that while no specific timeline was set, the president had indeed expressed his intention to make changes.

“I don’t have any timeline. The president has expressed his desire to reshuffle his cabinet, and he will do it,” Onanuga stated. “I don’t know if it will happen before October 1, but it will certainly occur.”

Providing further insight into the planned reshuffle, Ogra emphasized that the decision-making process would be guided by empirical evidence based on performance indicators that Bala-Usman is overseeing. “The president’s decision to reshuffle is also based on empirical evidence. He has indicated during the ministers’ retreat that there will be periodic reviews, and the conclusions from these reviews will inform his final decision,” Ogra noted.

He went on to reveal that the president had instructed his ministers to actively promote their accomplishments. “At the last Federal Executive Council meeting, the president urged all ministers to engage with the public and communicate the initiatives of his administration,” Ogra said. “Some ministers have been hesitant in the media, and he wants them to overcome that and highlight their contributions because there’s a perception that the government isn’t doing enough, even though a lot is being accomplished.”