El-Rufai, Okotete, Danladi awaiting clearance as Senate confirms 45 ministerial nominees

The Senate has confirmed 45 out of the 48 ministerial nominees sent to it by President Bola Tinubu.

The Senate confirmed the ministerial nominees on Monday after conclusion of screening of the nominees sent to it by the President.

Out of the 48 nominees, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Stella Okotete from Delta State and Abubakar Danladi from Taraba State were not confirmed as Senate President Godswill Akpabio said they were awaiting security clearance.

WesternPost had earlier reported that Okotete might be dropped as minister after President Tinubu nominated Festus Keyamo who hailed from the same local government as her.

This was followed by a petition by the All Progressives Congress (APC), Delta South Senatorial District who complained of marginalisation over the nomination of Okotete and Keyamo.

The Senate who began screening the ministerial screening last Monday confirmed former governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike, Abubakar Kyari from Borno State, Nkiruka Onyejeocha (Abia State), Bello Muhammad (Sokoto State), and Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa State).

Others are Joseph Utsev (Benue State), Olubunmi Tunji Ojo (Ondo State), Betta Edu (Cross River State), Uju Kennedy Ohaneye (Anambra State), Abubakar Momoh (Edo State), John Enoh (Cross River State), Iman Suleiman Ibrahim (Nasarawa State), and Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi State).

Former Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi, Wale Edun (Ogun), Uche Nnaji (Enugu), Adebayo Adelabu (Oyo), Ekperikpe Ekpo (Akwa Ibom), Hannatu Musawa (Katsina), and Musa Dangiwa (Katsina), Dele Alake (Ekiti), Lateef Fagbemi (Kwara) and Muhammad Idris (Niger), Ali Pate (Bauchi), and Doris Uzoka (Imo) were also cleared as ministers.

Also cleared were: Zephaniah Jisalo (FCT), Shuaibu Audu (Kogi), Yusuf Sununu (Kebbi), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), Alkali Saidu (Gombe), Ahmed Gwarzo (Kano), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe), Aliu Abdullahi (Niger), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa), Tunji Alausa (Lagos), Lola Ade-John (Lagos), Bosun Tijani (Ogun), Isiak Salako (Ogun), Tahir Mamman (Adamawa), Maigari Ahmadu (Taraba), Festus Keyamo (Delta) and Mariya Mahmoud (Kano).