Senate Confirms Seven Ministerial Nominees

The Senate has confirmed the seven persons nominated as ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari.

They were confirmed on Monday following a screening at the upper chamber of the National Assembly. The exercise was presided over by Senate President Ahmed Lawan.

The development came days after President Buhari appointed the ministers and wrote to the Senate, seeking their confirmation.

Four of the newly-confirmed ministers are from four south-east states; while one appointee came each from the north-west, south-west, and south-south regions.

The new appointees include Henry Ikechukwu – Abia State, Umana Okon Umana – Akwa-Ibom State, Ekuma Joseph – Ebonyi State, Goodluck Nana Obia – Imo State, Umar Ibrahim Yakub – Kano State, Ademola Adewole Adegorioye – Ondo State, and Odo Udi – Rivers State.

They were named following the resignation of some cabinet members who resigned to seek elective posts in the just-concluded primary elections of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi; ex-Akwa Ibom governor, Godswill Akpabio; Ogbonnaya Onu and Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba were among ministers who resigned to contest for the APC presidential ticket – which none of them won.

Their resignation was in line with the provisions of Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act which mandates that “no political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election”.