Senate withholds confirmation for el-Rufai; clears 45 others as ministers

The Senate has approved the appointment of 45 ministers nominated by President Bola Tinubu but withheld backing three others, including former Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai.

Mr el-Rufai, Stella Okotete (Delta) and Sani Danladi (Taraba) were not confirmed Monday evening after a week-long screening exercise.

Senate president Godswill Akpabio said they three nominees were awaiting “security clearance.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Senate has so far approved and confirmed the nomination of about 45 ministers out of the total 48 sent to us by the president. The others are still awaiting security clearance,” Mr Akpabio said.

He did not provided details.

– Here is the list of names confirmed as ministers:

1. Ekperikpe Ekpo (Akwa Ibom)
2. Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa)
3. Betta Edu (Cross River)
4. John Enoh (Cross River)
5. Festus Keyamo (Delta)
6. Abubakar Momoh (Edo)
7. Nyesom Wike (Rivers)
8. Nkiru Onyejiocha (Abia)
9. Uju Ohaneye (Anambra)
10. David Umahi (Ebonyi)
11. Uche Nnaji (Enugu)
12. Doris Uzoka (Imo)
13. Dele Alake (Ekiti)
14. Tunji Alausa (Lagos)
15. Lola Ade John (Lagos)
16. Ishak Salako (Ogun)
17. Bosun Tijjani (Ogun)
18. Olawale Edun (Ogun)
19. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (Ondo)
20. Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun)
21. Adebayo Adelabu (Oyo)
22. Tahir Mamman (Adamawa)
23. Yusuf M Tuggar (Bauchi)
24. Ali Pate (Bauchi)
25. Abubakar Kyari (Borno)
26. Alkali Ahmed Saidu (Gombe)
27. Uba Maigari Ahmadu (Taraba)
28. Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe)
29. Mohammed Badaru (Jigawa)
30. Maryam Mairiga Mahmoud (Kano)
31. Abdullahi T Gwarzo (Kano)
32. Ahmad Dangiwa (Katsina)
33. Hanatu Musawa (Katsina)
34. Yusuf Tanko Sununu (Kebbi)
35. Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi)
36. Bello M Goronyo (Sokoto)
37. Bello Matawalle (Zamfara)
38. Joseph Utsev (Benue)
39. Zephaniah Bitrus Jisalo (FCT)
40. Shuaibu A Audu (Kogi)
41. Lateef Fagbemi (Kwara)
42. Imaan S-Ibrahim (Nasarawa)
43. Mohammed Idris (Niger)
44. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger)
45. Simon Lalong (Plateau)