Governor Hope Uzodimma is constitutionally obligated to unveil a new cabinet within the next 50 days, following the dissolution of the State Executive Council ten days ago.
On January 21, the governor took decisive action by dismissing commissioners, special advisers, senior special assistants, and special assistants in one sweeping move.
The pressing question of when Governor Uzodimma will reconstitute his cabinet to resume the wheels of governance in the state has garnered attention.
A recent legal development now mandates the governor to announce new commissioners within a stipulated sixty-day period, paving the way for the formation of the state executive council.
This legal mandate finds its roots in former President Muhammadu Buhari’s actions before leaving office on May 29, 2023.
At that time, President Buhari signed into law 16 constitutional alteration bills, one of which imposes a timeframe on both the President and State governors to announce ministers and commissioners.
According to this law, the President and State Governors are required to submit the names of nominated ministers or commissioners within 60 days after taking the oath of office.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu adhered to the recently enacted law by unveiling his initial list of ministerial nominees, precisely one day before the expiry of the constitutional timeframe.
As the countdown begins for Governor Uzodimma, the urgency to comply with this constitutional obligation is palpable.
The dissolution of the State Executive Council marked a strategic move, and now, the governor is navigating the timeline mandated by law to assemble a new cabinet.
The significance of this legal framework is not only in its timely execution but also in streamlining the governance process, ensuring a swift transition and continuity in the administration’s functionality.