Senate pends El-Rufai, two others confirmation as minister over security clearance

The Senate on Monday finally concluded the screening of 48 Ministerial nominees of President Bola Tinubu with the screening of the last two nominees – Mariya Mahmoud and Festus Keyamo.

The red chamber however confirmed only 45 out the number, leaving out three nominees namely, former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai, Stella Okotete (Delta State),and Abubakar Danladi (Taraba State),

Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the three nominees’ confirmation are still undergoing security clearance

The confirmation comes over a week after President Tinubu’s transmission of a 28-member list to the red chamber for confirmation on July 27.

Earlier on Monday, the Senate concluded the screening of the Ministerial nominees with the last two nominees, former commissioner in Kano state, Mariya Mahmoud and festus keyamo, a former Minister of State for Labour and Productivity.

The screening of keyamo, who served under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari ended in a rowdy session as two lawmakers moved a motion for the suspension of his screening.

At the resumption of his screening, the Delta state nominees apologized to the Senate over his altercation with the 9th Senate.

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Those confirmed as ministers are: former governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike; Abubakar Kyari of Borno State; Nkiruka Onyejeocha (Abia State); Bello Muhammad (Sokoto State); Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa State); Joseph Utsev (Benue State), Olubunmi Tunji Ojo (Ondo State), Betta Edu (Cross River State), Uju Kennedy Ohaneye (Anambra State), and Abubakar Momoh (Edo State).

Others are John Enoh (Cross River State), Iman Suleiman Ibrahim (Nasarawa State), Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi State); former ebonyi governor, Dave Umahi (Ebonyi); Wale Edun, Uche Nnaji; Adebayo Adelabu, Ekperikpe Ekpo, Hannatu Musawa, and Musa Dangiwa.

The rest are Zephaniah Jisalo, Shuaibu Audu, Yusuf Sununu, Bello Matawalle, Alkali Saidu, Ahmed Gwarzo, Atiku Bagudu, Simon Lalong, Ibrahim Gaidam, Aliu Abdullahi, Gboyega Oyetola, Heineken Lokpobiri and Tunji Alausa, Lola Ade-John, Bosun Tijani, Isiak Salako, Tahir Mamman, Maigari Ahmadu, Mariya Mahmoud and Festus Keyamo.