President Tinubu’s ministerial list, 28 nominees make first batch
By Haruna Salami
At last President Bola Tinubu has sent names of 28 ministerial nominees for appointment as ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
After a long wait for the list on Wednesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, came for the business of the day at 12:05 pm, said the opening prayer and announced that the Senate would go into a close session.
On resumption from the close session, he kept every one in suspense when he took the announcement, but he informed the lawmakers that one of them, Senator Mohammed Onawo has been uplifted to Ciroman Doma in Nasarawa state. The second announcement was that the burial of one of their former colleagues would take place in Ebonyi state and that Deputy SSenate Leader, Dave Umahi has provided a plane.
However, the moment everybody was waiting for came when the Senate Leader invoked Order 1 (a), (b) of the Senate that Chief of Staff (COS) to President Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila be admitted to deliver “a crucial message from President Tinubu to the Senate President. That was accepted by all.
Akpabio then said he was pleased to announce to the Distinguished senators and all Nigerians that President Tinubu has forwarded the ministerial list on the 28th July 2023 in accordance with section 147 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (199) as amended.
This was to avoid violation of that provision which gives the President 60 after inauguration to submit list of his cabinet members to the Senate.
Akpabio then called the list one after the other, but when he called Dave Umahi, the Senate was pleasantly surprised.
The entire list was dominated with names of ex-governors, senators and Honourable members.
Akpabio assured everyone that the list was not exhaustive as some state are yet to have the constitutional representation in the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
