Jonathan still president, says Presidency website

The State House’s (Office of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria) official website, www.statehouse.gov.ng on Saturday still has ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Namadi Sambo as being in charge of the country.

But Jonathan and Sambo had since been replaced by President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on May 29.

While the ex-president and the former vice president had returned to their bases, Buhari and Osinbajo are expected to reside in the State House.


SUNDAY PUNCH’s checks on the website also revealed that names of Mrs. Patience Jonathan and Hajia Amina Sambo, were still listed as being the First Lady and wife of the Vice President, respectively.

In the news section of the site, the latest information posted was President Muhammadu Buhari’s inaugural speech.

The official website for the office of the president also listed ministers in the Jonathan administration as current ministers, as pictures and names of 41 ministers were displayed.

The same situation was discovered when our correspondent visited the State House’s principal officers’ and other sections.

The newly elected President Buhari is yet to name people who will form his Federal Executive Council.

There are indications that Buhari will reduce the number of ministers as part of his strategies for reducing the cost of governance.

It was learnt that this formed part of the cost-saving proposals which Buhari presented during the All Progressives Congress National Working Committee meeting in Abuja in April.

Those to be done away with are ministers of state.

The NWC, which is yet to conclude its deliberations on proposals, according to a high-ranking member of the APC NWC, is working on various options, including streamlining the ministries and parastatals.

The NWC member had said, “No concrete decision has been reached on any of the issues yet. We are still meeting tomorrow.”