Senate Screening of Tinubu’s New Ministerial Nominees Marred by Nominee’s Collapse
Today, the Nigerian Senate resumed plenary to screen three new ministerial candidates nominated by President Bola Tinubu.
These nominees were Balarabe Abbas Lawal from Kaduna State, Dr Jamila Bio Ibrahim from Kwara State, and Ayodele Olawande from Ondo State.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had read a letter from President Tinubu requesting the confirmation of these additional ministerial nominees. This followed the Senate’s screening and confirmation of 45 ministerial nominees back in August 2023, during which three nominees, including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, were rejected due to concerns raised by lawmakers.
During the screening, Senator Sunday Karimi from Kogi West had brought attention to a “serious petition” against El-Rufai, raising concerns about security, unity, and the cohesiveness of the Nigerian nation.
In a surprising turn of events during the recent screening, one of the ministerial nominees from Kaduna State, Abbas Balarabe, collapsed while answering questions posed by senators. Senators and medical personnel rushed to provide immediate assistance, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio suspended the session and ordered the video cameras to be turned off.
However, good news followed as Balarabe Abbas Lawal was successfully revived by medical personnel who attended to him. He had reportedly slumped due to exhaustion after speaking for about 15 minutes during the screening.
After the nominee was resuscitated, the Senate resumed the screening process, with Ayodele Olawande, the third nominee from Ondo state, facing the Senate for assessment.
These events marked a significant episode in the ongoing ministerial screening process in Nigeria’s Senate, as it aimed to evaluate the qualifications and suitability of these nominees for ministerial positions within the government.