President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has tipped his son-in-law, Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State, as the next governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. The current CBN governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, will complete his tenure in May, this year.

The presidency is said to be buzzing with lobbyists for Soludo's seat. But LEADERSHIP SUNDAY learnt that Yar'Adua is favourably disposed to anointing his son-in-law Yuguda as the next CBN chief.

Also, Tanimu Yakubu, currently the president's chief economic adviser, may be made chairman of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). Yakubu would still retain his current position, if he eventually becomes the PHCN boss. That becomes a combined honour for him.

A curious aspect, however, is that Rilwan Babalola, minister of power, who until his appointment as minister was Yakubu's special assistant, should have been chairman of PHCN, being the supervising minister.

Kola Adesina, who is a director with Sahara Oil and Gas Limited and a close friend of Yar'Adua's, has been appointed vice chairman of PHCN.

Yuguda is currently the arrow head of Yar'Adua's major economic think-tank - the advisory committee on the global economic meltdown.

Yuguda was a banker of note before going into politics. He was the MD/CEO of Inland Bank, substantially owned by Bauchi State. The bank eventually became First Inland Bank after consolidation. It is now known as Finbank. From there, he moved on to NAL Bank as the managing director also. During Obasanjo's first term, Yuguda was the minister of aviation.

He became governor of Bauchi State in 2007, after a bitter political battle between him and the former governor of the state, Ahmed Muazu. Bauchi was hailed as one of the few places where the 2007 election was viewed as transparent; consequently, Yuguda triumphed over the PDP and formed an ANPP government. This was seen as a feat, considering that the PDP machinery was a formidable force to overcome in many parts of the country.

Since he became governor, Yuguda has been enmeshed in a battle of wits with his predecessor. He recently married the president's daughter in a move that, many believe, was intended to checkmate his opponents. Plans are already under way for him to join the ruling PDP. In a recent interview, he said that he was only forced to leave the PDP by the party's former helmsman, Ahmadu Ali, and other gladiators. Currently, Yuguda is dealing with the religious crisis that rocked Bauchi last week. He has since blamed his political opponents for the crisis.