President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday made three more nominees to his list of ministers and sent the names to the Senate for confirmation.
Of the three nominees are Balarabe Abbas Musa, who is meant to serve as a replacement for the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, who was earlier nominated by the President but had his nomination turned down by the Senate after the screening exercise in August.
The replacement was conveyed in a letter read by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, at the plenary on Tuesday.
Other nominees are Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim, Minister of Youth and Ayomide Olawande, Minister of State for Youth.
The president’s nominees are awaiting confirmation by the Senate in line with the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The President had earlier on September 17, 2023, announced the names of his nominees for the different portfolios, pending confirmation by the Senate.
But on Tuesday, a letter requesting the confirmation of the nominees was read during plenary by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.
Recall that El-Rufai couldn’t make it pass the Senate, owing to a couple of petitions against him, including those sent by Senator Sunday Karimi of the All-Progressive Congress, Kogi (West).
The lawmaker representing Kogi West, during the ministerial screening, moved against the former Kaduna State governor.
Karimi, after El-Rufai’s presentations, stood up and told the chamber that he had a petition written against the former governor over the issue of insecurity in Southern Kaduna.
He said, “Your performance in any office you find yourself in the country has been outstanding. In the Bureau of Public Enterprises, your record is there, in FCT as a minister, your record is there, and as two-time governor of Kaduna state, you did well.”
“And I think that the petition has to be considered in this screening exercise.”
Karimi then proceeded to lay the petition before Jibrin Barau, the deputy senate president, who was presiding over the screening exercise at the time.
Barau in response said, “I don’t know if you followed the normal process, but this is the opportunity for nominees to explain and showcase themselves, later we will come to confirmation and approval.”
Other senators commended El-Rufai, noting that the former governor is competent enough to be a minister.
Also, the lawmaker representing Kaduna North, Ibrahim Kalid, said he and his two colleagues from the state, as well as all the residents, are in support of El-Rufai’s nomination as minister.
Meanwhile, after making his presentation, the Senate President at the plenary refused to take the petition, levelled against the former governor and said a number of petitions were submitted against a number of the ministerial nominees
