BREAKING: Senate Spokesman Gives Fresh Update On El-Rufai, Two Other Ministerial Nominees

BREAKING: Senate Spokesman Gives Fresh Update On El-Rufai, Two Other Ministerial Nominees

Senate Spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, has indicated that the Senate is considering the possibility of re-inviting the three ministerial nominees who have not yet been confirmed for re-screening…CONTINUE READING

Adaramodu, representing Ekiti South Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly (NASS), shared this information during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily program on Tuesday.

Read Also Heartbreaking News For Obi, Obidients And LP As Appeal Court Affirms INEC’s Discretion On E-transmission Of Results (DETAILS)

When questioned about the pending confirmation of the nominees, Adaramodu stated, “The question raised about them is an ongoing issue. So, once the Senate is satisfied, definitely, if we need to invite them to the chamber for the re-confirmation and re-screening, then we’ll do that.”

The three nominees whose confirmation is still pending are former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, Senator Abubakar Danladi from Taraba State, and former Nexim Bank Managing Director, Stella Okotete from Delta State.

The Senate had previously approved and confirmed the nominations of 45 other appointees of President Bola Tinubu through a voice vote. However, the confirmation for El-Rufai and the other two nominees was withheld due to “security clearance” issues.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio had mentioned, “Just to mention that for the avoidance of doubt, the Senate has so far approved and confirmed the nomination of 45 ministers out of the total 48 ministerial nominees sent to us by the President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The others are still awaiting security clearance.”

In discussing the issue further, Adaramodu emphasized, “If security is not satisfied, Senate cannot be satisfied. It depends on what security agencies and the person that nominates them say.”

The Senate has cleared and approved 45 other nominees, including 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, among others.

On August 1, 2023, the Senate conducted a screening for El-Rufai, who served two terms as the governor of Kaduna from 2015 to 2023 and was one of the ex-governors included in the President’s ministerial list.

During the screening, Senator Karimi Sunday from Kogi West Senatorial District raised a “very strong petition” against El-Rufai, raising concerns about security, unity, and national cohesion. The Senate President intervened, highlighting that their role was to screen nominees rather than address petitions.