The Senate adjourned to Friday for the commencement of a second batch of screening for the fresh list of nineteen (19) nominees sent in by the Senate. Both lists submitted by President Tinubu brings the Ministers in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to 47 if they are confirmed by the Senate.
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With the Senate set to conclude the final round of screening for the first batch of Ministerial Nominees, President Bola Tinubu has submitted the final batch of nineteen (19) nominees to the National Assembly.
The development took place during the screening on Wednesday when Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central); in line with Senate Rules moved a motion for a portion of the Standing Order to be suspended for the President’s Chief of Staff to be admitted into the Red Chamber.
Shortly after the point of order was upheld by the Presiding Officer, Godswill Akpabio; the Chief of Staff to President Tinubu; Femi Gbajabiamila walked into the chamber and approached the Chair of the Whole Senate to present the communication from the President.
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Following the conclusion of screening for the last five (5) nominees contained in the first batch of twenty-eight would-be cabinet members sent to the Senate, the lawmakers reverted to plenary where the letter from President Tinubu was read.
Both lists submitted by President Tinubu brings the Ministers in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to 47 if they are all confirmed by the Senate.
The Senate thereafter adjourned at 5:43pm to reconvene on Friday, August 4th 2023 at 11am for the screening of the fresh batch of nominees to enable them go through the Code of Conduct procedures ahead of their appearance at the Red Chamber
The nominees include:
1.HE Simon Bako Lalong – Plateau
- HE Bello Matawwalle – Zamfara
- HE Atiku Bagudu – Kebbi
- HE Adegboyega Oyetola – Osun
- HE Uba Maigari Ahmadu – Taraba
- Senator Ibrahim Geidam – Yobe
- Senator Heineken Lolokpobri – Bayelsa
- Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi – Niger
- Senator Alkali Ahmed Saidu – Gombe
- Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo – Kano
- Tunji Alausa – Lagos
- Lola Ade John – Lagos
- Prof. Tahir Mamman – Adamawa
- Dr. Ishak Salako – Ogun
- Dr. Bosun Tijjani – Ogun
- Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu – Kebbi
- Dr. Maryam Shetti – Kano
- Zaphaniah Bitrus Jisalo – FCT
- Shuaibu Abubakar Audu – Kogi
READ ALSO: Two sitting lawmakers, 7 ex-lawmakers make Tinubu’s 28-Nominee Ministerial list
It is noteworthy that Gbajabiamila had previously noted that a second batch of Ministerial nominees comprising about thirteen (13) names would be sent to the National Assembly, adding that this was part of the process of having a cabinet for the administration.
‘’As you know he had 60 days from time of inauguration, as stipulated in the constitution. He has fulfilled that requirement of the constitution by submitting 28 names today.
As his letter stated, and was read on the floor of the Senate, the remaining names, not sure how many, probably about 12, maybe 13, will be forwarded to the Senate in the coming days. As far as the nominees themselves are concerned, and like I said, Mr President took his time to sift through those names,’’ he said.
The Chief of Staff said that the president decided to tow the line of tradition by not attaching the portfolio of the nominees in the letter to the senate in order to give room for reviews.
“As good as that sounds, it straitjackets the president to pigeonhole one person in an office or the other. What happens then if you change your mind, do you then bring the person back for screening again, because the president is at liberty to change your mind.”
For instance, if I decide I want somebody as Minister of Labour, and then after sending the name, later on, I decide that this person would actually be better with another portfolio. And meanwhile, the Senate has screened that person for that particular initial portfolio?.”
