A political support group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently reshuffle his cabinet and remove some ministers, warning that failure to act could weaken the party’s chances in the 2027 general elections.

The group, known as the APC League of Democrats, said the President must take decisive action to protect his administration from internal sabotage and poor performance.

In a statement released in Abuja on Monday, the group said the current cabinet arrangement no longer reflects the urgency of the nation’s economic challenges. It described the reshuffle as overdue and necessary for efficiency and public confidence.

According to the group, certain appointees are allegedly working against the objectives of the government while pretending to serve it.

“We are seasoned politicians and can read between the lines when appointees are working anticlockwise to sabotage the good intentions and programs of the very government they seem to be representing. This is not the first time. We have seen it all, and we would not allow history to repeat itself. It happened to President Goodluck Jonathan, some of us saw it coming and we raised an alarm, but nothing was done.”

The group specifically named the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, as ministers who should be relieved of their duties without delay.

It, however, praised some members of the cabinet for what it described as visible performance. The group said ministers such as Nyesom Wike of the Federal Capital Territory, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo of the Interior Ministry, and Dave Umahi of the Works Ministry could retain their positions.

“Those Ministers who are up and doing, like the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, could be retained in their current positions, while most of them should be reshuffled, to give room for efficiency and service delivery. The two Ministers controlling Finance, Wale Edun and Doris Uzoka-Anite, must be relieved of their duties, as a matter of urgency, and in the best interest of our great party and national peace.”

The group accused the finance ministers of ignoring President Tinubu’s directive to resolve the dispute between the Federal Government and indigenous contractors.

It said the President had ordered that outstanding debts owed to local contractors be cleared, but that the ministers failed to act on the instruction.

According to the group, contractors are owed about N4 trillion for projects executed under the 2024 budget, many of which have already been commissioned by the Federal Government.

The APC group described the situation as avoidable and harmful to the economy.

It warned that protests by contractors and civil groups were damaging Nigeria’s image before the international community and discouraging potential investors.

“One thing the Ministers have refused to understand is that a protest anywhere against the government is characteristically positioned to damage the image of that government and demarket it by reducing its public image in the eyes of the international community, some of whom are potential investors. No one would like to invest in an economy that is not progressing and has no circulation.”

The group further expressed concern over repeated demonstrations at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja.

It recalled that contractors had blocked access to the ministry several times and that civil society organisations had also joined calls for the removal of the ministers.

“Is it not enough that the association of local contractors had repeatedly blocked the entrance of the Federal Ministry of Finance Complex, the very secretariat and administrative hub of the nation’s economy? We also read in the news recently that about 1,000 Civil Society Organisations, most of which have foreign connections and submit reports to various quarters, sanctioned the ongoing protest and called on the President to purge the Ministers of their duties to save the nation from embarrassment.”

The group also referred to a protest by young lawyers who reportedly barricaded the finance ministry in support of the contractors.

It said the lawyers accused Dr Uzoka-Anite of selective payments and favoritism, an allegation the group urged the government to investigate.

“We also saw in the news on Thursday last week, where many young Lawyers, in their hundreds, barricaded the Finance Building, in support of the protesting contractors and accused Uzoka-Anite of selective payments to cronies and allies. We want this allegation investigated and let the needful be done.”

According to the APC League of Democrats, the financial hardship being faced by contractors has worsened the economy.

It said many of the contractors took loans to execute government projects and are now facing bankruptcy because payments have not been made.

It added that the shortage of money in circulation has affected businesses and daily economic activities across the country.

“Aside from the pains and embarrassments the actions of the two Ministers have caused those local contractors, most of whom are currently suffering acute bankruptcy as a result of unserviceable loans taken two years ago to execute the FG contracts, the economy is also at the receiving end, as currency circulation is in short supply, affecting virtually all spheres of human daily living.”

The group warned that the crisis could spill into the political space if not addressed quickly.

It said unresolved grievances could cost the APC support in the next election cycle.

“The worst hit, which we would not take, is the tendency to affect the APC’s chances in 2027. We would not allow sabotage to rewrite the history of 2015 in the coming elections. The President must rise to these patriotic calls by Nigerians and do the needful, before it is too late.”

Recall that the Association of Indigenous Contractors of Nigeria recently began a sustained protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja over unpaid contract sums.

The protesters blocked the main entrance to the ministry, preventing the Minister of State for Finance from accessing her office.

Nonetheless, they accused the finance ministers of refusing to release funds for completed projects despite presidential directives and intervention by the National Assembly.