Today, the Senate will reconvene to consider the second batch of ministerial nominees that President Bola Tinubu has forwarded to it.Mr. Tinubu submitted a list of 19 candidates for confirmation in a letter to the upper house on Wednesday that was delivered by his chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila. The total number of nominees for ministerial positions now stands at 47.On Thursday of last week, the president submitted a list of 28 nominees chosen from 25 of the federation’s 25 states.

    Five former governors, three former federal lawmakers, two women, and a long list of others are on the list of people who will testify in front of the MPs today.

    The former governors are Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe), Simon Lalong (Plateau), and Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe).

    Former legislators Sabi Abdullahi (Niger), Alkali Saidu (Gombe), Zephaniah Jisalo (FCT), and Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa), who was formerly the state minister for agriculture and rural development, will also be vetted.

    They were chosen from the final 11 states that had been left off of the president’s original list of 28 candidates that was sent to the Senate on July 27.Surprisingly, an Abuja native gets nominated as a minister for the first time in roughly 30 years. Mr. Jisalo served as the AMAC/Bwari federal constituency’s representative in the House of Representatives and served as its two-time chairman.

    Their nomination was made on the same day that the parliamentarians finished interviewing the initial group of minister candidates.The senators have not yet confirmed the 28 nominees who were vetted earlier this week for three days (Monday through Wednesday).

    It’s assumed that the legislators decided to wait until the second round of screening was finished before approving or rejecting any of the 47 applicants.

    The senators will undertake today’s exercise in accordance with their procedures at the Committee of the Whole, which will be presided over by the senate president, who will serve as “chairman” throughout the exercise.

    The special assistant to the president on National Assembly matters (Senate) will lead the nominees into the sacred chamber of the Senate one by one for the screening. The moment a nominee steps up to the podium, he or she will give an introduction based on the resumes provided before taking questions from the senators as instructed by the senate president.Additionally, both current and former members, whether they are from the Senate or the House of Representatives, have the option to “bow and go.” After introducing themselves, senators rarely question nominees in this category unless they need more information on a particular subject.However, certain past governors were given this privilege when the initial set of nominations were screened.

    Following the activity, the 109 senators will reconvene in the plenary where the senate president will give an update on the Committee of the Whole’s work.It’s uncertain whether the senators will finish vetting the 19 nominations today. If they do, there is a chance that it will accept or reject each nomination, depending on the situation, allowing them to go with their annual break. The Senate extended its sitting days and time past 2 p.m. in addition to delaying its break in order to screen the ministers-designate.

    The 19 ministers-designate who will be interviewed today are listed below. Geopolitical zones are used to classify them.

    L-R: Adegboyega Oyetola, Simon Lalong, Bello Matawalle, Atiku Bagudu

    L-R: Adegboyega Oyetola, Simon Lalong, Bello Matawalle, Atiku Bagudu

    Ministerial Nominees: Senate screens Oyetola, Lalong, Matawalle, Bagudu, 15 others today (LIVE UPDATES)

    President Bola Tinubu transmitted a list of 19 ministers-designate to the Senate on Wednesday.

    ByAbdulqudus Ogundapo

     August 4, 2023

    Reading Time: 3 mins read

    The Senate will reconvene today to screen the second batch of the ministerial nominees transmitted to it by President Bola Tinubu.

    Mr Tinubu, in a correspondence delivered by his chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to the upper house on Wednesday, presented a list of 19 nominees for confirmation. This brings the total number of ministerial nominees to 47.

    The president had on Thursday last week submitted a list of 28 nominees drawn from 25 states of the federation.

    Former Osun State governor, Adegboyega Oyetola
    Former Osun State governor, Adegboyega Oyetola

    Among those on the list who will appear before the lawmakers today are five former governors, three former federal lawmakers, two women and a host of others.

    The former governors are Simon Lalong (Plateau), Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) and Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun).


    Governor of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong [PHOTO CREDIT: @The Plateau State Governor’s Directorate Of Press]
    Former Governor of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong [PHOTO CREDIT: @The Plateau State Governor’s Directorate Of Press]

    Also to be screened are former lawmakers, namely Sabi Abdullahi (Niger), Alkali Saidu (Gombe), Zephaniah Jisalo (FCT), and Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa), who is also a former minister of state for agriculture and rural development.

    They were picked from the remaining 11 states excluded from the earlier list of 28 nominees the president submitted to the Senate on July 27.

    Remarkably, for the first time in the last 30 years or thereabout, an Abuja indigene is nominated as a minister. Mr Jisalo is a two-time chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council and a former member of the House of Representatives for the AMAC/Bwari federal constituency.

    Bello Matawalle became governor of Zamfara in fortuitous circumstances in 2019 but lost the seat after only one term
    Bello Matawalle became governor of Zamfara in fortuitous circumstances in 2019 but lost the seat after only one term

    Their nomination came the same day the lawmakers concluded the screening of the first batch of ministers-designate.

    The 28 nominees screened earlier this week for three days (Monday to Wednesday) have yet to be confirmed by the senators.

    It is speculated that the lawmakers have elected to conclude the screening of the second batch before confirming or rejecting any of the 47 nominees.

    Abubakar Atiku Bagudu served two terms as governor of Kebbi State from 2015 to 2023, under the platform of the APC
    Abubakar Atiku Bagudu served two terms as governor of Kebbi State from 2015 to 2023, under the platform of the APC

    In accordance with their rules, the senators will conduct today’s exercise, which commences at 11 a.m. at the Committee of the Whole, presided over by the senate president whose designation is “chairman,” while the exercise lasted.

    During the screening, the nominees will be ushered into the hallowed chamber of the Senate one after the other by the special assistant to the president on National Assembly matters (Senate). Once a nominee mounts the podium, he will first introduce themselves based on the resumes submitted and then field questions from the senators as directed by the senate president.

    Also, former and sitting lawmakers, whether members of the Senate or House of Representatives, enjoy the privilege of taking a “bow and go.” Nominees in this category are not usually asked questions after introducing themselves, except senators want some clarity on certain issues.

    However, in conducting the screening of the first batch of nominees, this privilege was extended to some former governors, including Nyesom Wike of Rivers, David Umahi of Ebonyi, and Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, as well as some female nominees.

    After the exercise, the 109 members will revert to the plenary, where the senate president will report progress made at the Committee of the Whole.

    It is not certain if the senators will conclude the screening of the 19 nominees today. If they do, there is a likelihood that it will confirm or reject any of the nominees, as the case may be, to enable them to proceed on their annual recess. The Senate did not only postpone its recess, but it also extended the sitting days and period beyond 2 p.m. to screen the ministers-designate.

    Below is a list of 19 ministers-designate to be screened today. They are grouped by geopolitical zones.


    South-south Zone

    1. Heineken Lokpobiri-Bayelsa

    North-east Zone

    1. Tahir Mamman – Adamawa

    2. Alkali Ahmed Saidu – Gombe

    3. Uba Maigari Ahmadu – Taraba

    4. Ibrahim Geidam – Yobe

    North-west Zone

    1. Maryam Shetti – Kano

    2. Abdullahi T Gwarzo – Kano

    3. Yusuf Tanko Sununu – Kebbi

    4. Atiku Bagudu –

    5. Bello Matawwalle – Zamfara

    South-west Zone

    1. Tunji Alausa – Lagos

    2. Lola Ade John – Lagos

    3. Ishak Salako – Ogun

    4. Bosun Tijjani – Ogun

    5. Adegboyega Oyetola – Osun

    North-central Zone

    1. Zephaniah Bitrus Jisalo – FCT

    2. Shuaibu A Audu – Kogi

    3. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi – Niger

    4. Simon Lalong – Plateau

    Naijaecho

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