By EMMMA UJAH, Abuja Bureau Chief

ABUJA – The rumour of imminent cabinet reshuffle, two weeks ago, was a ploy by President Goodluck Jonathan’s political opponents to target some of his key ministers to weaken his administration.

A Presidency source, who preferred not to be mentioned, said, weekend, that the rumour was the handiwork of some political interests eyeing the presidency in 2015 who decided to use rumour mills to undertake a deft political move against the administration.

The two prime targets, according to the source,  were the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed and his counterpart in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke.

The source said other ministers whose political relevance were considered critical and whose removal from cabinet would brighten the chances of the opponents were the Minister of Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe; Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku; Minister of Labour, Mr Emeka Wogu; Minister of Interior, Mr Abba Moro; and that of Agriculture, Professor Akinwunmi Adesina.

Those behind the move were said to have decided to latch on to the fuel subsidy probe to mobilise public anger against Mrs. Allison-Madueke as being corrupt and therefore must be removed to demonstrate the President’s fight against corruption.

The highly-placed Presidency source, who prefered anonymity, said beside being seen as the most loyal crop of cabinet members in the Jonathan government, the opposition group, which has some converts within the ruling People Democratic Party, PDP, also believe that the ministers are partly responsible for the visible progress and successes so far recorded by President Jonathan.

In the case of Mohammed, he was considered, as “anti-Northern interests” and one of Jonathan’s most loyal cabinet members and being a Northerner, his influence was considered to have grown to an extent that it was becoming a problem for the opposition.

“The worst target or victim of this group of loyalists by this powerful opposition is the FCT Minister. Given that he hails from the North, these political enemies are worried that despite entreaty not to return to Jonathan’s government, Bala has remained loyal and committed to the political ideals of his principal, the President”.

The FCT Minister, according to the source, was considered to have offended political interests in his Northern base, “Since moving that historic motion on doctrine of necessity”.  The source added, “they have not forgiving him”.

He said, “our people believed that having served as FCT minister, the second most important ministry in Nigeria, next to petroleum, for two years he should have resigned and returned to his political roots, which brought him to the Senate in the first place, before he joined the PDP and the Jonathan’s government.

“Some people are specifically afraid that his stabilisation and growing influence in the North if not checked could turn out to be another strong weapon in the hands of the President to actualise his second term ambition, especially should he decides to run in 2015”.

President Jonathan’s decided to make a public statement, through his Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Reuben Abati, to the effect that he was satisfied with the performances of the ministers and therefore, not contemplating any cabinet reshuffle, the source, said, was to avoid a situation of panic among the ministers, ensure absolute loyalty among them and to allow them concentrate on their duties.