Senate to screen Buhari’s ministerial nominees June 29

Senate President Ahmad Lawan says the upper legislative chamber will screen the ministerial nominees of President Muhammadu Buhari on June 29.

Lawan made the announcement on Wednesday shortly before the senate adjourned its session.

“The ministerial nominees will be screened on Wednesday, next week,” the senate president said.

In a letter on Tuesday, the president asked the senate to confirm seven ministerial nominees

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The president based his request on section 147(2) of the constitution.

The nominees, if confirmed, will replace the ministers who resigned to pursue political bids.

Rotimi Amaechi, Ogbonnaya Onu, Godswill Akpabio and Emeka Nwajiuba, who all resigned to pursue presidential bids, will not return, contrary to initial speculation.

Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and justice minister, and Pauline Tallen, women affairs minister — who both had governorship and senatorial ambitions respectively — withdrew their resignations.

The new ministerial nominees are:

• Henry Ikechukwu (Abia)

• Umana Okon Umana (Akwa Ibom)

• Ekuma Joseph (Ebonyi)

• Goodluck Nana Obia (Imo)

• Umar Ibrahim Yakub (Kano)

• Ademola Adewole Adegorioye (Ondo)

• Odo Udi (Rivers)