Senator Yemi Adaramodu, spokesman for Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber has disclosed that former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai and two other President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial nominees may be re-invited for screening.
The Senate confirmed 45 out of 48 senatorial nominees. The three nominees that were not confirmed are El-Rufai, Senator Abubakar Danladi from Taraba State, and ex-Nexim Bank Managing Director, Stella Okotete (Delta State).
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, while dropping the three ministerial nominees, cited security reports.
However, featuring on a Channels TV programme on Tuesday, the Senate spokesperson, Adaramodu, who represents Ekiti South Senatorial District in the upper legislative chamber said that the issues surrounding the nominees were matters that are public knowledge.
He said, “The question raised about them is an ongoing issue. So, once the Senate is satisfied, if we need to invite them to the chamber for the re-confirmation and re-screening, then we’ll do that.
“If security is not satisfied, Senate cannot be satisfied. It depends on what security agencies and the person that nominates them say.”
The 45 nominees cleared by the Senate 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 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.
Nigeria’s secret Police, Department of State Services (DSS), and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu had on Monday asked the Senate not to confirm El-Rufai, Danladi, and Okotete as ministers
The three affected nominees were indicted in the DSS and NSA letters they sent to the Senate, urging the lawmakers not to confirm the nominees.
Top sources at the Senate said the Director-General of the DSS and the NSA wrote to Akpabio, advising the upper chamber not to confirm the nomination of the trio.
“The NSA, Ribadu, and the DG of DSS have just sent us letters not to clear El-Rufai, Senator Abubakar Danladi from Taraba, and Stella Okotete from Delta. The Senate President just read it to us now at the closed-door session. He didn’t give it to us anyway,” one of the sources revealed.
“The letter from the NSA and DG DSS cited security reasons, saying the Senate should defer the confirmation of the trio for now, for national security. The senate president is holding the document sent to him tight and has not released it to anyone,” another source added.
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