While the South-east zone was given its statutory five slots out of the 48 ministerial nominees, other zones got extra slots.

The Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON) Osita Okechukwu, has absolved President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of any blame in the nomination of only five people from the South-east as members of his cabinet.

Criticism had trailed Mr Tinubu's ministerial list, with some South-east leaders accusing him of marginalising the zone.

While the zone was given its statutory five slots out of the 48 nominees, other zones got extra slots.

But answering questions from journalists in Enugu on Sunday on the perceived shabby treatment meted out to the South east, Mr Okechukwu, a foundation member of APC, quipped that without holding brief or defending the president: "Instead of blaming him, we should rather blame our so-called South-east APC leaders.

"As you are aware, I am not a President Tinubu's apologist; however we must be diligent in our analysis by adopting pragmatic analysis.

"My take is that we should more pungently blame our APC's leaders, who instead of genuine advancement of South-east interest were more or less petty in their lobby strategy. After all one chairs the APC Governors Forum, the foremost Power Bloc and the other was already in the Senate.

"To be honest, I was worried when I noticed them blocking our first 11, and one ridiculously was busy rooting for himself as if he is the only qualified person from his state. Their strategy was akin to chasing rats, whilst others were bidding for elephants," he said.

Accused of playing blame games to gain favour, as Mr Tinubu a veteran politician does not need any lobby strategy to give the South-east their due shares, Mr Okechukwu reminded journalists that it was on record that he was the only one who in December 2021, publicly appealed to Mr Tinubu "to support any Igbo in the race, and his men replied instantly that the kingmaker wants to be King."

Mr Okechukwu asked: "Is it not because from day one these so-called leaders mangled and dislocated South-east APC's structures from ward level to state level that we scored the poorest regional presidential election score?

"Secondly, is it not because they bidded petty, and blocked our first 11, that we lost the moral high ground for bigger cakes?

"If there are blame games, they should be laid squarely where they belong most."