Ekiti State Government Disbands Existing Cabinet, Maintains Crucial Commissioners in Posts
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has announced the dissolution of the State Executive Council with immediate effect, a move that is seen as a strategic reset ahead of the upcoming gubernatorial primaries scheduled for October 2, 2025.
The specific reasons for the dissolution were not disclosed in the report, but the timing, barely two months before the primaries, suggests preparation for the electoral process and political repositioning.
Key aspects of the dissolution include immediate effect, with affected commissioners and special advisers instructed to hand over their duties to permanent secretaries or senior civil servants. However, several commissioners retained their positions, including the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Commissioner for Education, Commissioner for Works, and Commissioner for Trade, Investment, Industry, and Cooperatives. The Director General, Office of Transformation and Service Delivery (OTSD), Director General, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Project Monitoring, and Director General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) also remain in the Ekiti State cabinet.
The Special Adviser on Special Education and Social Inclusion, and the Special Adviser on Lands, Survey and e-GIS were spared from the shake-up in the Ekiti State Executive Council. Governor Oyebanji expressed gratitude to the departing officials for their contributions to his administration.
The order for the dissolution and the handover process were carried out in Ado-Ekiti. The report does not mention any new appointments following the dissolution of the State Executive Council.
Political observers believe the dissolution of the Ekiti State Executive Council may be connected to the upcoming gubernatorial primaries. The dissolution is seen as a significant cabinet restructuring that allows the governor to reposition his administration and possibly align party interests going into the primaries. It creates a clean slate for political maneuvering among aspirants within the ruling party, easing tensions or removing political affiliations that could complicate the primaries. By retaining key officials, continuity in essential state functions is maintained, ensuring governance stability during the electoral period.
In summary, the dissolution serves as a strategic reset to align executive leadership with the political objectives associated with the imminent governorship primaries, signaling readiness for the electoral contest while maintaining administrative stability.
- The dissolution of the Ekiti State Executive Council, announced by Governor Biodun Oyebanji, is perceived as a strategic move for political repositioning ahead of the upcoming gubernatorial primaries in Nigeria, also known as Naija.
- The timing of the dissolution, just before the primaries, suggests preparation for the electoral process and the policy-and-legislation arena, being crucial aspects of politics.
- The governor retains key officials, including the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, and the Director General, Office of Transformation and Service Delivery (OTSD), despite the dissolution, ensuring continuity in essential state functions.
- The dissolution presents an opportunity for political maneuvering among aspirants, creating a clean slate that eases tensions or removes political affiliations potentially complicating the primaries.
