President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated seven persons for screening and confirmation by the Senate for appointment as Ministers.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan read Buhari’s letter of request on the floor of the Senate, in Abuja, on Tuesday.
In the letter, the president said the nominees would replace the former ministers that resigned from his cabinet.
The letter read in part, “In accordance with Section 8 Subsection 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I hereby forward the underlisted ministerial nominees for your confirmation.
The nominees are:
- Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh – Abia State;
- Umana Okon Umana – Akwa Ibom State;
- Egwumakama Joseph Nkama – Ebonyi State
- Goodluck Nnana Opiah – Imo State;
- Umar Ibrahim El-Yakub – Kano State;
- Ademola Adewole Adegoroye – Ondo State; and
- Odum Odih – Rivers State.
They are expected to replace the ministers who had resigned to contest for elected offices.
Ministers who resigned are Rotimi Amaechi, Godswill Akpabio, Ogbonnaya Onu and Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba who contested for the presidential primary.
They also include Uche Ogar who contested and won the fractional Abia State governorship primary and Tayo Alasoadura who contested and lost the APC senatorial primary in Ondo State.
They had resigned in accordance with the provisions of Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act which states 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.”
Although the appeal court had declared the section unconstitutional, the case was moved to the Supreme court for a final decision.
The Punch
