State Chairmen of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have askedto be carried along in the appointment of ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The party leaders, who made their position known at a meeting with the party’s National Working Committee, NWC,held in Abuja, saidthey were not carried along when the immediate past ministers were appointed in 2015.

An impeccable source said that at the gathering, which took place two weeks ago, the party Chairmen said the situation was responsible for the inability of the ex-cabinet members to deliver their wards during the last general elections.

Consequently, they appealed to the NWC to inform the President that their inputs should be considered in the appointment of ministers from their respective state chapters.

Though there were reports that some states had submitted lists of nominees, the source told Sunday Vanguard that nothing of such took place.

The same position was also maintained by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Lanre Issah-Onilu, who reportedly said the APC had not asked its state chapters to submit lists of nominees.

However, the state chairmen were said to have made a special case for states where the party lost at the governorship elections.

The source said: “The President is not going waste time this period and he is not under pressure to make the list known. The man is taking his time to able to come up with competent party members. He is not going to reward people with ministerial positions like former Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) members, who were appointed and made little impact.He is going for quality hands, who would be chosen from the party. To make that possible, state party chairmen at a meeting with the NWC in Abuja last two Thursdays, pleaded with the party leadership to carry them along in the appointment of ministers, especially in non-APC states. They gave examples of states where cabinet members were appointed in 2015 without their contributions. The party chairmen want to be part of the process now.Their belief is that if they are carried along, people, whose objectives are different from the President’s vision, would not be appointed. The NWC agreed that they would be carried along.”

However, a Presidency source toldSunday Vanguardyesterday that the President said the names being touted were speculative.

“He, President Buhari, is doing that separately not as a team. Those reported to be suggesting names may not even know the names the President may have settled for,” he said.

•Adapted from a Sunday Vanguard report.