AN X user, @Uptownoflagos has claimed that President Tinubu Bola appointed Femi Fani Kayode and Reno Omokri as the ministers of Finance and governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria respectively.
Omokri is a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. He served as a special assistant on new media and was responsible for managing Jonathan’s online presence.Â
While Femi Fani Kayode (FFK) is a former aviation minister. He has held various political positions over the years and was a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) before joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).Â
The X user posted the claim with a caption :Â
“BREAKING: Tinubu appoints FFK and @renoomokri ministers of Finance and CBN Governor respectively.“
The post has generated over 400 likes and more than 1,500 likes as of October 25, 2024.
CLAIM
Tinubu appoints Femi Fani Kayode as Minister of Finance and Reno Omokri as CBN Governor.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that this claim is FALSE.
Recent reports on President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet reshuffle, announced on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, confirm that Wale Edun remains the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy. Meanwhile, Olayemi Cardoso is the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), having been confirmed by the Senate earlier in September 2023. Neither Femi Fani Kayode (FFK) nor Reno Omokri hold any positions within Tinubu’s current administration.
In the recent cabinet reshuffle, President Tinubu sacked five ministers and reassigned ten others to different portfolios. He also appointed seven new ministers, who are awaiting Senate confirmation, none of whom include Fani Kayode or Reno Omokri​.
The President sacked Uju-Ken Ohanenye as Minister of Women Affairs; Lola Ade-John as Minister of Tourism; Tahir Mamman as Minister of Education; Abdullahi Gwarzo as Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development; and Jamila Ibrahim as Minister of Youth Development.
Tinubu subsequently nominated Bianca Odumegu-Ojukwu as the Minister of State Foreign Affairs, while Nentawe Yilwatda as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, officially bringing an end to the tenure of suspended Betta Edu.
The President also nominated Maigari Dingyadi as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Jumoke Oduwole as the Minister of Industry, Idi Maiha as Minister for the newly created Livestock Development Ministry, Yusuf Ata as the Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, with Suwaiba Ahmad as Minister of State Education.
In Nigeria, appointments of ministers and key positions like the CBN Governor require Senate confirmation and official announcements. There have been no reports in credible media outlets indicating that Fani Kayode or Reno Omokri have been nominated or confirmed for these roles. Furthermore, presidential spokespersons have made no such announcements.
THE VERDICT
The claim that Femi Fani Kayode has been appointed as Minister of Finance and Reno Omokri as CBN Governor is false. The current officeholders are Wale Edun (Minister of Finance) and Olayemi Cardoso (CBN Governor).Â
Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.