President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the names of five former governors along side 14 others in his second ministerial nominees list to the Senate for confirmation.
Former governors whose names were read as nominees by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, yesterday, were Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe), and Simon Lalong (Plateau).
They join Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna) and Atiku Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), who were in the first batch of 28 sent to the Senate, last week.
The two former deputy governors nominated are Senator Uba Maigari Ahmadu (Taraba) and Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo (Kano).
Among the 19 nominees read yesterday by Senate President Akpabio, which also included former senators and House of Representatives members were Bosun Tijani (Ogun), Maryam Shetty (Kano), Isiak Salako (Lagos), Tunji Alausa (Lagos), Yusuf Tanko Sununu (Kebbi) Lola Ade-John, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu (Kogi), Prof Tahir Mamman (Adamawa, VC Baze University), Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger), Senator Alkali Ahmed Saidu (Gombe), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa), Senator Uba Maigari Ahmadu (Taraba), and Zephaniah Jisalo (FCT, Abuja).
The listing of former member, House of Representatives, Zaphaniah Bitrus Jisalo from the Federal Capital Territory, makes it the first time an indigene of the FCT would be named a minister.
With the second list, President Tinubu has nominated 47 nominees, four more than the expected 43 consisting of one nominee from each of the 36 states and Abuja and one from each of the six geo-political zones.
And now, all the states of the country have been accommodated. No fewer than 11 states namely Adamawa, Bayelsa, Gombe, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Plateau, Lagos, Osun, Yobe, and Zamfara were omitted in the first list.
However, states like Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, Cross River, Taraba, Niger and Ogun have two nominees each while Lagos has three.
Fresh nominees to be screened Friday
After the announcement, Senate Presdent Akpabio said that the new nominees would be screened on Friday, and urged them to complete their documentation today (Thursday) ahead of the screening.
The list was delivered by Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila former Speaker, House of Representatives and Chief of Staff to President Tinubu, who entered the hallowed Chamber at 1.18pm and delivered the letter at 1.19pm.
To allow Gbajabiamila to present the list, the Senate invoked its Order 12(i) to allow the former speaker enter the chamber at 3.15pm.
South-East short-changed with 5 nominees
With the the nomination of 47 ministerial nominees from all the states, the South-East zone has least slots with five nominees followed by the South-South, seven. The highest is North-West with 10 slots followed by the South-West, nine. North-East and North-Central have eight nominees each.
Further breakdown shows that the North has 26 nominees while the South has 21. The allocation of five nominees to the South-East, which as five states means that the zone does not a mandatory zonal nominee.
Senate screens Fagbemi, Alake, Uzoka, Pate, Idris
Before the Chief of Staff came in to the Chamber, a ministerialnominee, Lateef Fagbemi, Kwara was standing before the Senators for screening. It was the third day of the exercise.
The five nominees screened yesterday were Dele Alake, Ekiti; Muhammad Idris, Niger; Professor Ali Pate, Bauchi; Doris Anite Uzoka, Imo; and Lateef Fagbemi, Kwara.
Alake tasks NASS on regulation of social media
Addressing the Senators, Alake, the current Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communication, and Strategy, who was the first to appear, said that regulation of social media should be strengthened. He urged the National Assembly to amend existing laws to curb fake and inaccurate information.
Condemning the misapplication of social media in Nigeria, Alake, who acknowledged its advantages in information dissemination, however warned that the disadvantages of social media could throw the country into confusion if not checked. According to him, the bad side of social media can be detrimental to any good and decent society.
Alake urged victims of libel and defamation not to hesitate in applying the full weight of the law on culprits when there are infractions by any medium be it broadcast or print, just as he stressed the need to test the laws of the federation to ascertain its efficacy and proficiency.
Mild drama
There was a mild drama during the questioning of Alake when the Senate shielded him by overruling the Minority Leader, Senator Simon Devou Nwadkwon, PDP, Plateau North who asked the ministerial nominee from Ekiti State to recite the second stanza of the National Anthem.
When the Senate Minority Leader also asked Alake to defend why he referred to some opposition members as “Wild Dogs“ on his Social media handles, Senate President Akpabio quickly stopped the Minority leader, shielding Alake from responding to the allegation raised.
According to Akpabio, the issue was during electioneering campaigns and in the past.
Sensing a crisis, the leadership of the Senate also rose in strong defence of Alake and shielded him from responding to the allegations.
Indeed, Senate Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti accused the Minority leader of injecting partisan politics into the affairs of the Senate for asking Alake to recite the second stanza of the National Assembly.
Lawmakers grill Idris, Fagbemi
Next was the ministerial nominee from Niger State, Mohammed Idris, the Publisher of Blueprints Newspapers-who was asked why he was still parading a statement of result many years after leaving secondary school.
While he responded to other questions about media practice in Nigeria, Idris skipped the one on the status of his secondary school certificate where it was raised that after 41 years he was still showing his statement of result and not his certificates.
Also yesterday, for over one hour, the Senate grilled the ministerial nominee from Kwara State, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN who is one of the lead counsel to President Tinubu at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
Fagbemi backed the idea of merging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offices Commission, ICPC, saying that the anti-graft agencies should be limited to investigation while another body should be charged with the arrest and prosecution of offenders.
Fagbemi, an accomplished lawyer who responded to questions bordering on corruption, advocated that the EFCC and ICPC should be unbundled.
He said: “Truth be told, you fight corruption but at the same time the way it’s fought in Nigeria leaves much to be desired.
“If I have my way, I will advise the President to unbundle, first of all, bring out ICPC, and EFCC together and unbundle them.”
Fagbemi noted that investigation of criminal offences should not be handled by the same body adding that there must be a supervisory authority within the same system.
PROFILE OF NOMINEES
Quote
Gwarzo (Kano)
Born in September 1960, in Kano, Engineer Abdullahi Tijjani-Gwarzo, who has a Bachelor of Science (Tech) degree in Textile Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. The Third Republic politician also served as executive chairman of Gwarzo Local Government Council between 1997-1998 (NCPN), 2004-2007 (ANPP) during which he served as the State ALGON Chairman, and as well a caretaker chairman between 2003-2004(ANPP).
The pioneer chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Kano was deputy governor of the state between 2007 and 2011.
Bosun Tijani (Ogun)
Born on July 20, 1977, in Agege Lagos, Dr Tijani is a Nigerian-British entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), the leading Pan-African innovation and technology centre. Co-Creation Hubworks at the forefront of accelerating the application of innovation and social capital for a better society.
Tijani, who earned a PhD in innovation and economic development from the School of Business, University of Leicester in 2023 is widely acknowledged as a pioneer and industry leader in the African technology ecosystem and was named as one of the 100 Most Influential People on the continent by New Africa Magazine. He initiated the first visit of Mark Zuckerberg to Nigeria in August 2016 as part of efforts to place Africa on the global technology map
Maryam Shetty (Kano)
Maryam Shettima, the national leader of #WeBelieve, an APC support group that promoted the achievements of Buhari administration, was born into the Kano royal family. She started her early education in Kano and went to Federal School of Physiotherapy in Bayero University, where she finished her Bsc with distinction.
She worked briefly with Dala Orthopedic and Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospitals in Kano before she went to London and obtained her Masters Degree in Sports Physiotherapy from the University of East London, Stratford. She was on the medical team of the London Olympics where she worked with top-tier athletes including world record holder, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt.
Know your ministerial nominees
Ahmed Tijani Gwarzo (Kano)
Bosun Tijani (Ogun)
Maryam Shetty (Kano)
Isiak Salako (Lagos)
Tunji Alausa (Lagos)
Yusuf Tanko Sununu (Kebbi)
Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun)
Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi)
Bello Matawalle (Zamfara)
Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe)
Simon Lalong (Plateau)
Lola Ade-John (Lagos)
Shuaibu Abubakar Audu (Kogi)
Prof Tahir Mamman (Adamawa)
Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger)
Alkali Ahmed Said (Gombe)
Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa)
Uba Maigari Ahmadu (Taraba)
Zephaniah Jizallo (FCT, Abuja)
Abubakar Momoh (Edo)
Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi)
Ahmad Dangiwa (Katsina)
Hannatu Musawa (Katsina)
Uche Nnaji (Enugu)
Betta Edu (Cross River)
Doris Uzoka (Imo)
David Umahi (Ebonyi)
Nyesom Wike (Rivers)
Muhammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa)
Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna)
Ekperipe Ekpo (Akwa Ibom)
Nkeiruka Onyejocha (Abia)
Olubunmi Tunji Ojo (Ondo)
Stella Okotete (Delta)
Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye (Anambra)
Bello Muhammad Goronyo (Sokoto)
Dele Alake (Ekiti)
Lateef Fagbemi (Kwara)
Mohammad Idris (Niger)
Olawale Edun (Ogun)
Waheed Adebayo Adelabu (Oyo)
Imman Suleiman Ibrahim (Nasarawa)
Ali Pate (Bauchi)
Joseph Utsev (Benue)
Abubakar Kyari (Borno)
John Enoh (Cross River)
Sani Abubakar Danladi (Taraba).
Born in September 1960, in Kano, Engineer Abdullahi Tijjani-Gwarzo, who has a Bachelor of Science (Tech) degree in Textile Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. The Third Republic politician also served as executive chairman of Gwarzo Local Government Council between 1997-1998 (NCPN), 2004-2007 (ANPP) during which he served as the State ALGON Chairman, and as well a caretaker chairman between 2003-2004(ANPP).
The pioneer chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Kano was deputy governor of the state between 2007 and 2011.
Bosun Tijani (Ogun)
Born on July 20, 1977, in Agege Lagos, Dr Tijani is a Nigerian-British entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), the leading Pan-African innovation and technology centre. Co-Creation Hubworks at the forefront of accelerating the application of innovation and social capital for a better society.
Tijani, who earned a PhD in innovation and economic development from the School of Business, University of Leicester in 2023 is widely acknowledged as a pioneer and industry leader in the African technology ecosystem and was named as one of the 100 Most Influential People on the continent by New Africa Magazine. He initiated the first visit of Mark Zuckerberg to Nigeria in August 2016 as part of efforts to place Africa on the global technology map
Maryam Shetty (Kano)
Maryam Shettima, the national leader of #WeBelieve, an APC support group that promoted the achievements of Buhari administration, was born into the Kano royal family. She started her early education in Kano and went to Federal School of Physiotherapy in Bayero University, where she finished her Bsc with distinction.
She worked briefly with Dala Orthopedic and Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospitals in Kano before she went to London and obtained her Masters Degree in Sports Physiotherapy from the University of East London, Stratford. She was on the medical team of the London Olympics where she worked with top-tier athletes including world record holder, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt.
Know your ministerial nominees
Ahmed Tijani Gwarzo (Kano)
Bosun Tijani (Ogun)
Maryam Shetty (Kano)
Isiak Salako (Lagos)
Tunji Alausa (Lagos)
Yusuf Tanko Sununu (Kebbi)
Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun)
Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi)
Bello Matawalle (Zamfara)
Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe)
Simon Lalong (Plateau)
Lola Ade-John (Lagos)
Shuaibu Abubakar Audu (Kogi)
Prof Tahir Mamman (Adamawa)
Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger)
Alkali Ahmed Said (Gombe)
Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa)
Uba Maigari Ahmadu (Taraba)
Zephaniah Jizallo (FCT, Abuja)
Abubakar Momoh (Edo)
Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi)
Ahmad Dangiwa (Katsina)
Hannatu Musawa (Katsina)
Uche Nnaji (Enugu)
Betta Edu (Cross River)
Doris Uzoka (Imo)
David Umahi (Ebonyi)
Nyesom Wike (Rivers)
Muhammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa)
Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna)
Ekperipe Ekpo (Akwa Ibom)
Nkeiruka Onyejocha (Abia)
Olubunmi Tunji Ojo (Ondo)
Stella Okotete (Delta)
Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye (Anambra)
Bello Muhammad Goronyo (Sokoto)
Dele Alake (Ekiti)
Lateef Fagbemi (Kwara)
Mohammad Idris (Niger)
Olawale Edun (Ogun)
Waheed Adebayo Adelabu (Oyo)
Imman Suleiman Ibrahim (Nasarawa)
Ali Pate (Bauchi)
Joseph Utsev (Benue)
Abubakar Kyari (Borno)
John Enoh (Cross River)
Sani Abubakar Danladi (Taraba).
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