TheCable

Femi Adesina, spokesman of President Muhammadu Buhari, says Zainab Ahmed will be minister of finance.

Buhari appointed Ahmed to oversee the ministry following the resignation of Kemi Adeosun who was involved in certificate forgery scandal.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Adesina said it had become clear that Ahmed is no longer minister of state for budget and national planning.

“You know she was minister of state budget and national planning, she will relinquish that or she has relinquished that to go and oversee the finance ministry, so that is her status for now,” Adesina said.

“What you call her is a matter of nomenclature but if she is overseeing the ministry, then she is. But note that she is no longer minister of state budget and national planning for now until anything contrary happens. But for now, she is in charge of the ministry of finance.

“You know that statement was written in English and that statement says she will oversee the ministry of finance, let’s leave it like that. I just told you she is no longer minister of state budget and national planning, she will be minister of finance, in fact that was how she was addressed at council.

“Don’t forget it is also a legal thing, if a minister is going to be appointed there are procedures that is why it is a deployment.”