By Aliyu Abdulwahid
The Senate, on Monday, confirmed 45 out of 48 ministerial nominees forwarded to it by President Bola Tinubu.
It, however, stepped down the approval of the nomination of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai; former Deputy Governor of Taraba State, Sani Abubakar Danladi and the former Executive Director, Business Development at the Nigeria Import and Export Bank, Stella Okotete from Delta State.
The confirmation of the appointments of others followed the screening by the Committee of the Whole, chaired by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio on the floor of the Red Chamber.
The confirmation came days after President Tinubu nominated them in two batches as ministers and wrote to the Senate, seeking their confirmation.
Nine of the newly confirmed ministers are from the North West geo-political zone, nine from South West, eight each from North East, North Central, seven from South South and five from the South East.
The new ministers from the North-West are Badaru Abubakar from Jigawa State, Mariya Mahmoud (Kano), Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo (Kano), Ahmed Dangiwa (Katsina), Hannatu Musawa (Katsina), Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu (Kebbi), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Bello Muhammad Goronyo (Sokoto) and Bello Matawalle from Zamfara State.
Those from the South West are Dele Alake representing Ekiti State, Tunji Alausa (Lagos), Lola Ade John (Lagos), Olawale Edun (Ogun), Dr. Ishak Salako (Ogun), Dr. Bosun Tijjani (Ogun), Olubunmi Tunji Ojo (Ondo), Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun) and Waheed Adebayo Adelabu from Oyo State.
The new ministers from North East are Prof. Tahir Mamman (Adamawa), Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi), Ali Pate (Bauchi), Abubakar Kyari (Borno), Alkali Ahmed Saidu (Gombe), Uba Maigari Ahmadu (Taraba) and Ibrahim Geidam from Yobe State.
The North-Central has Joseph Utsev from Benue State, Shuaibu Abubakar Audu (Kogi), Lateef Fagbemi (Kwara), Iman Suleiman Ibrahim (Nasarawa), Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger), Muhammad Idris (Niger), Simon Lalong (Plateau) and
Zaphaniah Bitrus Jisalo from the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
Those from the South-South geo-political zone are Ekperikpe Ekpo from Akwa Ibom State, Senator Heineken Lokpobri (Bayelsa), Dr. Betta Edu (Cross River), Senator John Enoh (Cross River), Festus Keyamo (Delta), Abubakar Momoh (Edo), and Nyesom Wike from Rivers State.
The South East has Uche Nnaji (Enugu), Doris Aniche Uzoka (Imo), David Umahi (Ebonyi), Nkeiruka Onyejocha (Abia) and Uju Kennedy Ohaneye from Anambra State.
Earlier in the day, the Red Chamber had screened the remaining two ministerial nominees by the President.
They are Dr. Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure from Kano State and Festus Keyamo, SAN from Delta State.
Tinubu had on Friday, August 4 revoked the earlier nomination of Dr. Maryam Shetty from Kano and replaced her with Dr. Mahmud-Bunkure also from the same state.
He also, in another letter addressed to the Senate President and read on the floor of the Red Chamber, nominated former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN as the 48th ministerial nominee.
The President had on Thursday, July 27, through his Chief of Staff and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, forwarded the first batch of 28 nominees for approval by the Senate, while the second and last batch of 19 was sent through the same aide on Wednesday, August 2.
In his remarks after the confirmation, the Senate President said the appointments of other nominees would be confirmed later once they are cleared by the relevant security agencies.
