By Adegbaju Temitope
Barely 24 hours after taking the oath of office for a second term, Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has directed all political appointees in the state to hand over their responsibilities with immediate effect, signalling the dissolution of his cabinet.
The directive was conveyed in an official circular issued on March 18, 2026, by the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), instructing all affected appointees to transfer their duties to Permanent Secretaries or, in their absence, the most senior civil servant in their respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
According to the circular, the handover process was to be concluded on or before the close of work on the same day, pending the constitution of a new cabinet.
“I am directed to inform all political appointees to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most senior civil servant in the various MDAs on or before the close of work today… until a new cabinet is constituted,” the statement read.
The government further directed that members of the outgoing cabinet are to meet with the governor on Monday, March 23, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the ANSEC Chambers, in what observers believe will serve as a formal wrap-up session for the administration’s first-term executive team.
The circular was signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Nwabufor Nwankwo.
The move, though routine in executive transitions, underscores the governor’s intention to begin his second term on a clean administrative slate, with expectations high that a reconstituted cabinet will reflect both continuity and strategic adjustments in line with his policy direction.
Political analysts note that such immediate dissolution of political appointments is often aimed at reassessing performance, rewarding loyalty and competence, and repositioning the machinery of government for improved service delivery.
Governor Soludo, who secured a renewed mandate from the electorate, is widely expected to unveil a new executive council in the coming weeks as part of efforts to consolidate his administration’s development agenda in Anambra State.
