By Uche Amunike
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has urged Nigeria’s President-elect, Ashiwaju Bola Tinubu to appoint Honorable James Faleke as his Chief of Staff, when he assumes office as President of Nigeria.
Speaking, through a statement issued on Sunday, the national president of the AYCF, Yerima Shettima, explained why they found it expedient that Faleke, who is a member of the House of Representatives and whom they described as a loyal associate of the President-elect, should become Chief of Staff to the incoming administration of Bola Tinubu.
The statement read: ‘We believe Hon James Faleke is a very loyal Tinubu supporter and associate who has proved to be reliable as ambassador to president-elect any day and Nigeria has had serious challenges caused by the communication gap between the President, ministers and even State governors, so this is an oppprtunity for the President-elect to get someone with good skills of managing the relationship between the President, officials of government and the rest of Nigerians.’
‘Hon. Faleke, being a highly-experienced lawmaker can build very cordial relationship between the Executive and legislative arms of government in the new dispensation because he represents the new generation of Nigerian political class, politically savvy and intellectually vibrant.’
‘We are in a new, ideas-driven world and Nigeria’s Presidency therefore, needs a Chief of Staff on tune with modern system of democratic governance. We expect that by now, President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu is fully aware of the consequences of our past mistakes of choices on Chiefs of Staff and won’t allow a repeat of the inglorious past.’
‘In view of the forgoing, we urge President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make sure he makes an informed choice of his Chief of Staff with loyal, proactive progressive and hale and hearty parliamentarian like Hon James Faleke.’
Relatively, a group of All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders also drummed their support for the choice of Hon. Fadeke as Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff.
In a meeting held by the party chieftains, Saturday April 7 2023, in Abuja, they stated that Fadeke remained the best person to be given the Chief of Staff position, among all the people rooting for the job.
Speaking, through a statement issued to newsmen, the President of North Central Women for Tinubu, Mrs Bimbo Adedoyin Okpere, listed certain reasons why Faleke remained more outstanding than the other contenders.
The statement partly read: ‘We are calling on our great leader, the President elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to pick Hon. James Abiodun Faleke as his Chief of Staff when he assumes office. From all indications and from our findings, he remains the best for the job.’
‘Faleke was the pillar behind the formation of TSG and as the leader of the group, he helped galvanize the needed grassroots support for the presidential bid of Tinubu.
“It is also on record that Faleke subsequently emerged the Secretary of the Presidential Campaign Council where he functioned effectively as the coordinating official to ensure the victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 general election.’
