Science as the executive chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
According to an exclusive report on TheCable News, Akintunde Ibitayo Akinwande, a professor in the electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has been nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari as the executive chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
It was learnt that the president ignored Olasupo Shasore, who was a preferd choice of the minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, as Olasupo was once attorney-general under Fashola as governor of Lagos.
Shasore was one of the aspirants reportedly supported by Fashola for the APC governorship ticket in the state in 2015. He and Femi Amzat, Fashola’s commissioner for works, were defeated by Akinwunmi Ambode, the preferred candidate of Bola Tinubu, a national leader of APC.
A presidency insider disclosed to TheCable News that Shasore, a senior advocate of Nigeria, could not be picked because “the president does not want anything that will stoke tension in the Lagos axis again”.
Recall that it was widely reported last year that Tinubu did not support the appointment of Fashola as minister because of their strained relationship.
Disclosing further, a presidency insider said that Buhari personally sought out the NERC nominees as he is doing in critical areas of his administration. “The president’s expectation is that with more professionals in his team, including those from the Diaspora, he will be able to deliver the goods in these critical areas,” a senior official said.
President Buhari had sent the names of the nominees to the senate for confirmation before they embarked on their long recess on Thursday.
If confirmed by the senate, Akinwande will succeed Sam Amadi whose tenure ended in 2015.
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