Tinubu to swear in Wike, Edu, Lokpobori, Keyamo, others cleared by Nigerian Senators
● How the Senate nearly rejected Festus Keyamo
By Jonas Happy
Senator Godswill Akpabio, President of the Senate presiding over the screening of new ministers forwarded by President Bola Tinubu.
President Bola Tinubu is expected any moment from now to swear in members of the Federal Executive Council who successfully scaled the hurdle at the Senate. Already, there are speculations in some quarters that the President might make his move before the end of this week.
Among the 45 nominees who received the nod from the Senate is former Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
Wike who earlier took a bow when he appeared before the Senate had assured Senators that President Bola Tinubu would not regret the decision to include him in the ministerial list.
Former Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State weathered the storm to emerge as a minister under the Tinubu administration.
Senator Barry Mpigi alerted the Senate that over five million people were behind Wike’s nomination
Others who were confirmed by the upper chamber included Betta Edu, Wale Edu, Senator Dave Umahi, Professor Ali Pate, Dele Alake, Festus Keyamo, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and Bosun Tijani.
Most of the political appointees who got the green light, the Port Harcourt Telegraph understands, are currently hanging around the Federal Capital territory, Abuja.
It is not known if the President would await the clearance of three remaining nominees including former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State whose confirmation in the Senate was stalled by red flags allegedly raised by security agencies.
El-Rufai, it would be recalled, stock out his neck for Tinubu when it became clear that a powerful cabal in the Buhari administration was working against the electoral victory of the APC Presidential Candidate.
Petitions had trailed his nomination and some knowledgeable sources say those petitions may have thrown a spanner in the works.
Insiders say the Presidency has been keeping a close but wary watch on events, especially on the fate of the nominees whose aspirations to serve the nation is hanging in the balance.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu receives the confirmation of ministerial nominees but keeps a wary eye on the fate of the three who did not scale through.Concerns were earlier raised by Nigerians against some of the nominees appointed by the President, with a former Senator, Sani Shehu, who is stepping up his criticism of Tinubu’s actions describing some of them as snakes and betrayers.
Notwithstanding what some persons posit, the Senate it is believed went about its constitutional task, baring its fangs where necessary in its bid to clear the nominees.
President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio who announced the decision of the Senate on Monday said that out of the 48 names it received for confirmation, 45 sailed through.
He however revealed that some security issues obviously stood between the three nominees and their confirmation by the Senate.
While the entire nation waits for Tinubu, there are strong indications that Nigerians who see the clearance of the ministers as a first step towards the proper take off of the administration are yearning for the swearing in exercise to take place.
“Nigerians cannot wait to see what this set of ministers will do in office. There have been arguments over the composition and size of the team.
“Life has become very tough in Nigeria and most people who think that hard times are here at the expense of ordinary Nigerians expect that the new ministers will through their MDAs ensure that things get better”, a political observer who did not want his name in print said in Port Harcourt.
Darlington Nwokocha, Minority Whip of the Senate urging his colleagues to put Keyamo’s clearance on hold.
Meanwhile, the Presidency may have waded in to rescue Festus Keyamo from angry Senators who were smarting as a result of the shabby manner that the minister treated members of the 9th Assembly under the Buhari administration.
There is no confirmation in the open of the alleged role played by the Presidency to save Keyamo from the wrath of the Senate, but pressure was purportedly mounted on the Senate to allow the nominee pass through the eye of the needle, some sources claimed.
Keyamo, a one-time activist and critic who led the APC campaign had literally accused the Senate of trying to hijack his assignment as minister and bluntly refused to honour invitations extended to him to brief lawmakers.
Given the heated atmosphere on the floor, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, leader of the Senate moved for a closed door session to resolve differences over Keyamo.
Insiders say that the Senate President and the Senate Leader may have received an invitation to approach Aso Rock.
Senators at the closed door meeting were reportedly persuaded to forgo their stiff opposition to Keyamo and settle for an apology from the nominee.
“I’m sorry”, Festus Keyamo, SAN, said when he reappeared before the Senate, “I am sorry, I am sorry.”
Against the backdrop of his apology considered appropriate, the Senate asked him to go and sin no more.
Reacting on the Morning Show broadcast on Arise News, Rufai Oseni, a journalist said while he thinks Keyamo’s apology should be tolerated, he still could not understand why a serving minister would defy a summon from the Senate.
Oseni added that he expected the President to quickly swear in the Ministers.