Ex-Jonathan's minister declines top global position because of Tinubu's appointment

Former Minister of State for Health, Muhammad Pate, may be one of President Bola Tinubu's incoming ministers following some new revelations on Monday, June 26.

President Tinubu, who took the oath of office on May 29 as the 16th President of Nigeria, was yet to forward the list of his ministers to the National Assembly as the law has stated, Premium Times reported.

According to the law, the President is expected to send the list of his preferred candidates to the legislature within his first 60 days in office but he was yet to do that almost a month after he was sworn in.

Why Jonathan's minister will have his way into Tinubu's cabinet

The possibility of Pete becoming President Tinubu's minister became vivid after the Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) announced the former minister's decision to decline his appointment as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Pate was scheduled to assume the GAVI's CEO's office on August 3 but he had reportedly informed the organization that “he has taken an incredibly difficult decision to accept a request to return and contribute to his home country, Nigeria.”

His reason for the rejection of the appointment has raised speculations that he might have been positioned for a position in the new Tinubu's cabinet.