Former Benue State Deputy Governor Steven Obekpa Lawani has disclosed that he was promised a ministerial appointment for his role in helping President Bola Tinubu secure victory in the state during the 2023 presidential election.
Lawani said he was informed that he would be appointed a minister but later discovered that his name was missing from the list of nominees shortly before the appointments were announced.
He made the revelation during an interview with Trust TV, according to Naija News.
The former deputy governor explained that Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, had approached him to help lead Tinubu’s presidential campaign in Benue State.
According to Lawani, he was outside Nigeria, enjoying a holiday in Dubai, when he received the request from Akume.
He said he subsequently returned to Nigeria and devoted several months to working for the campaign in the state, expecting that his efforts would earn him a ministerial position.
Lawani, however, said he was informed three or four days before the announcement of ministerial appointments that his name was not on the list.
“I was told I would be a minister, and I looked forward to that. And thanked the authorities who told me that, but three or four days to the announcement, I was called upon and told my name was not there,” he said.
Lawani served as deputy governor of Benue State under former Governor Gabriel Suswam from 2007 to 2015.
He is also a politician and businessman.
Akume’s response to Lawani’s claims was not included in the report.
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