LIVE UPDATES: Senate screens newly-appointed ministers

The Senate is set to begin the screening of the seven new ministers appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari last week.

The nominated ministers are Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh – Abia State; Umana Okon Umana – Akwa Ibom State; Ekumankama Joseph Nkama- Ebonyi State and Goodluck Nanah Opiah – Imo State.

Others are Umar Ibrahim El-Yakub – Kano State; Ademola Adewole Adegoroye – Ondo State; and Odum Udi – Rivers State.

The ministers will be screened individually and it will be done at plenary.

The exercise has been listed among the items on the Order Paper for the day and the nominees, this paper learnt are present at the legislative complex already.

Mr Buhari had written the Senate last Tuesday, nominating the seven ministers and seeking the lawmakers’ confirmation.

He said the confirmation request was made in accordance with Section 147(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

He, however, did not state their portfolios.

If cleared by the Senate, the ministerial nominees are to replace those who resigned recently to contest for other political offices.

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Some of the ministers who resigned are Rotimi Amaechi, Godswill Akpabio, Ogbonnaya Onu and Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba who contested for the presidential primary.

Others are Uche Ogar who contested and won the fractional Abia State governorship primary and Tayo Alasoadura who contested and lost the APC senatorial primary.

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.”

Follow PREMIUM TIMES for live updates of the screening.