“Why Tinubu appointed Bianca Ojukwu as minister” – Atiku’s aide

• Demola Olarewaju, Special Assistant to Atiku Abubakar, claims President Tinubu’s appointment of Bianca Ojukwu is politically motivated.
• Olarewaju argues the appointment aims to enhance APC’s support in the South-East ahead of the 2027 elections.
• He asserts Bianca Ojukwu has “zero electoral value” in the region and won’t attract additional votes for Tinubu.
• Olarewaju suggests  Bianca Ojukwu’s appointment is part of a broader APC strategy to rig upcoming 2027 elections.

Demola Olarewaju, Special Assistant on Digital Media Strategy to former PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has revealed the alleged reason behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent appointment of Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

According to Olarewaju, this decision is a strategic maneuver aimed at bolstering support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-East ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a statement shared on his X handle, Olarewaju criticized the appointment, asserting that Bianca Ojukwu possesses “zero electoral value” in the region, and that her role would not attract additional votes for Tinubu.

According to him, Bianca’s appointment is just a ploy by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the 2027 election.

“Understand first of all that Tinubu is nothing, if not political. Everything he does is about power. If he opposes subsidy in 2012 – it is power. If he upholds it in 2024, it is for power.

“He can say ‘Yoruba Ronu’ to woo Yoruba ethnocentrists but can also say ‘One Nigeria’ when necessary. I’m not sure that man has had even one genuine friendship in the past three decades unless there is some political leverage or advantage to be gained.

“Bianca is a ‘nobody’ in the political configuration of the SE. But remember, APC currently has governors in two states of the SE and all three senators from Ebonyi, two from Imo, and one from Abia, where Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu is from, and where a Bola Tinubu University of Nigerian Languages may soon be sited.

“Recall also that Bola Tinubu/APC scored more votes in the SE than Atiku Abubakar/PDP – based on ‘it is the turn of the South/let Tinubu have it if not Obi, but not a Fulani.’

“So Bianca is not at all likely to move any voter, but she won’t need to – she is only one piece of a larger plan to provide an excuse for APC/INEC rigging,” the statement read in part.

The appointment of Ojukwu was part of a significant cabinet reshuffle announced by Tinubu, which included other nominees such as Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Muhammadu Dingyadi for Labour and Employment, and Dr. Jumoke Oduwole for Industry, Trade, and Investment, among others.

These nominations are currently pending Senate confirmation.