Wike, El-Rufai and others finally make President Tinubu Ministerial nominees list. The list was submitted to Senate President Akabio for deliberation and confirmation.
President Bola Tinubu handed the much-anticipated cabinet list to the Senate for deliberation and confirmation yesterday, after a two-month delay that culminated in the legal deadline.
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The list, which included 28 names, was personally given to Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary by Femi Gbajabiamila, the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives.
According to a statute signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in March, an elected president or governor must submit the names of people nominated as ministers or commissioners (in the case of governors) to the senate or House of Assembly for confirmation within 60 days of taking the oath of office.
At yesterday’s plenary, after accepting the previous legislative day’s votes and processes, the Senate invoked relevant parts of its Standing Rules to receive Gbajabiamila and have him deliver the presidential letter.
Akpabio read the ministerial list, which had no ministries linked to the names. It contained four past governors who had just completed their constitutional eight-year terms, as well as six women.
Gbajabiamila rationalised the lack of portfolios by claiming that it would allow the president to tinker with the ministries to which the nominees would be assigned.
The chief of staff told reporters at State House in Abuja that 13 more names would be given to the Senate for confirmation soon.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership responded angrily to the inclusion of Rivers State’s immediate past governor, Nyesom Wike, in Tinubu’s cabinet line-up, branding the list as a rehash of old politicians who lack ideas and are incapable of rebuilding the country.
Shehu Sani, a former senator from Kaduna State, said Tinubu embraced serpents and praised vultures in his comments on the ministerial nominees list.
Other former governors on the list besides Wike were Senator David Umahi (Ebonyi), Nasiru El-Rufai (Kaduna), and Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa).
Abubakar Momoh, Ambassador Yusuf Miatama Tukur, Arch. Ahmed Dangiwa, Hannatu Musawa, Chief Uche Nnaji, Dr. Betta Edu, Dr. Dorris Aniche Uzoka, Rt. Hon. Ekperipe Ekpo, Hon. Nkiru Onyeojiocha, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji Ojo.
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Mr. Bello Muhammad G., Mr. Dele Alake, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi SAN, Mr. Muhammad Idris, Mr. Olawale Edun, Mr. Waheed Adebayo Adelabu, Mrs. Iman Suleiman Ibrahim, Professor Ali Pate, Professor Joseph Utsev, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Senator John Eno, and Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi were also on the list.
Tinubu stated in the letter that the 28 candidates comprised the first batch of his proposed cabinet list and pledged to provide the remaining names in due time.
