When the parliamentarians reconvened in plenary session on Tuesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio read a letter from President Tinubu demanding the ratification of the nominations.
The candidates are Mr. Ayodele Olawande from Ondo State, Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim from Kwara State, and Balarabe Abbas Lawal from Kaduna State.
In August 2023, the Senate vetted and confirmed 45 nominations for cabinet positions while rejecting three of them. Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, is notable among those who have not been confirmed.
Stella Okotete from Delta State and Abubakar Danladi from Taraba State were the other two nominees that were turned down at that time.
During the screening event, a politician expressed concern over a “serious petition” against El-Rufai.
Senator Sunday Karimi from Kogi West had drawn the attention of the lawmakers to the petitions against the former FCT minister.
“Your performance in any office you find yourself in the country has been outstanding. In the Bureau of Public Enterprises, your record is there, in FCT as a minister, your record is there, and as two-time governor of Kaduna state, you did well,” he said after El-Rufai’s presentation.
“But, I have a very strong petition against you that borders on security, unity, and cohesiveness of the Nigerian nation,” the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker added. “And I think that the petition has to be considered in this screening exercise.”