The ministerial screening exercise which commenced about three weeks ago, came to an end yesterday, October 28.
The confirmation exercise was expected to begin immediately after, but did not, as Bukola Saraki, the Senate president, announced the adjournment of the Senate to today.
So far, 18 nominees have been confirmed while the other half are yet to be confirmed.
Most of the nominees impressed the Senate and are expected to be confirmed without any hitches but the confirmation of two of the nominees is not so sure. They are Rotimi Amaechi, the former governor of Rivers state, and the ministerial nominee from Cross River state, Usani Uguru.
1. Rotimi Amaechi:
The former governor got into the bad books of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and played a major role in the defeat of the PDP during the 2015 general elections.
Amaechi’s nomination as minister by President Muhammadu Buhari was met with strong criticism. Amaechi was accused looting and fraud while he was governor of Rivers state, and his nomiation was opposed in a petition to the Senate by three PDP senators from the state.
He was finally screened on Thursday, October 22, after three initial postponements and lots of drama. But the opposition, led by their minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, refused to ask him any questions on the grounds that the report of the Senate committee on ethics and privileges on the petitions filed against Amaechi had not been considered.
The feud between Amaechi and the PDP senators got worse after the election petition tribunal in Rivers state ruled in favour of the APC, nullifying the election of Governor Nyesom Wike and 20 other PDP lawmakers and ordering a rerun within 90 days.
Amaechi may not be confirmed because of the petition against him.
It is also reported that the PDP senators are threatening to withdraw their support for Senate president Bukola Saraki should he enforce Amaechi’s confirmation.
2. Pastor Usani Uguru:
The ministerial nominee from Cross River state stirred controversy on the floor of the Senate during his screening. He brought himself into the bad books of the PDP Senate caucus when, during his screening, he said “God forbid” to a question as to his membership of the PDP.
There was uproar after Uguru said ‘God Forbid’, as the senators of the opposition party criticized his remark about their party.
He was quick to retract his remark, followed with an apology but his plea did not save him. The Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, cited Order 14 of the Senate standing rule pointing out that the privileges of PDP had been breached by Uguru’s remarks. He said it was unfortunate that the nominee could see the party as a forbidden thing long after he had served the PDP administration as a commissioner in the National Copyright Commission.
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