The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, clarified on Monday that the Senate had held back the ministerial confirmation of three nominees due to the fact that the upper legislative chamber was still awaiting security clearance
Nevertheless, the Senate approved and endorsed the Ministerial appointments of 45 other individuals nominated by President Bola Tinubu following a voice vote.
Akpabio remarked, “Just to make it clear, the Senate has thus far approved and confirmed the appointments of 45 Ministers out of the total 48 Ministerial nominees sent to us by the President, who is also the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The remaining nominees are awaiting security clearance.”
The three nominees pending confirmation by the Senate are former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufa; Senator Abubakar Danladi from Taraba State; and former Nexim Bank Managing Director, Stella Okotete (Delta State).
The 45 nominees who received Senate clearance include Festus Keyamo, Mariya Mahmoud, Lola Ade-John, Bosun Tijani, Isiak Salako, Tahir Mamman, Maigari Ahmadu, Zephaniah Jisalo, Shuaibu Audu, Yusuf Sununu, Bello Matawalle, Alkali Saidu, Ahmed Gwarzo, Atiku Bagudu, Simon Lalong, Ibrahim Gaidam, Aliu Abdullahi, Gboyega Oyetola, Heineken Lokpobiri, and Tunji Alausa.
Others on the approved list are Dele Alake, Lateef Fagbemi, Muhammad Idris, Ali Pate, Doris Uzoka, Dave Umahi, Wale Edun, Uche Nnaji, Adebayo Adelabu, Ekperikpe Ekpo, Hannatu Musawa, Musa Dangiwa, Nyesom Wike, Abubakar Kyari, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, Bello Muhammad, Badaru Abubakar, Joseph Utsev, Olubunmi Ojo, Betta Edu, Uju Kennedy Ohaneye, Abubakar Momoh, John Enoh, Iman Suleiman Ibrahim, and Yusuf Tuggar.
On August 1, 2023, the Senate evaluated El-Rufai, who served as Kaduna’s Governor for two terms from May 2015 to May 2023, and is one of the nine Ex-Governors on the President’s list of Ministerial nominees.
During El-Rufai’s screening in the Senate, Senator Karimi Sunday from Kogi West Senatorial District raised a “very strong petition” against the former Kaduna governor related to issues of security, unity, and national cohesion.
However, Senators strongly resisted discussing the subject, and the Senate President intervened, explaining, “Our role here is to conduct screenings and, of course, we can refer petitions to where they will be addressed. I urge my brother (El-Rufai) to proceed. So, don’t concern yourself with addressing the petition. Thank you.
