President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday submitted a list containing 19 names for screening as ministers.
The list which came seven days after the submission of a list of 28 ministers-nominees to the Senate means that the President will have a cabinet of 47 ministers.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila submitted the list to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio in a white envelope, which he kept on the table as he continued to direct screening proceedings.
The number is four higher than the number of ministers in the immediate past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The new nominees are
AHMED TIJJANI
BOSUN TIJJANI
DR MARYAM SHETTI
ISHAK SALAKO
TUNJI ALAUSA
TANKO SUNUNU
ADEGBOYEGA OYETOLA
ATIKU BAGUDU
BELLO MATAWALLE
IBRAHIM GEIDAM
SIMON BAKO LALONG
LOLA ADEJO
SHUAIBU ABUBAKAR
TAHIR MAMMAN
ALIYU SABI
ALKALI AHMED
HEINEKEN LOKPOBIRI
UBA MAIGARI
ZEPHANIAH JISSALO
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the executive communication at plenary on Wednesday, August 2nd.
They will be screened on Friday, August 4, 2023. The exercise begins at 11 am.
Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, was the nominee being screened when Gbajabiamila was allowed into the Senate chambers after the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, had invoked the necessary provisions of the Senate Standing Rules to so admit him to deliver the executive communication.
Akpabio is expected to unveil the additional nominees of the President after the screening of the 28 nominees in the first batch.
Credible News recalls that Gbajabiamila had last Thursday submitted the first list with 28 nominees to the red chamber and said more names would be forwarded to the upper chamber.
The upper chamber had on Monday screened 14 of the 28-man list of ministerial nominees
Those screened on Monday include former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike; Abubakar Kyari from Borno State; Nkiruka Onyejeocha from Abia State; Bello Muhammad from Sokoto State; Sani Abubakar Danladi, Taraba State; and Badaru Abubakar, Jigawa State.
Others are Joseph Utsev from Benue State, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, Ondo State, Betta Edu from Cross River State, Uju Kennedy Ohaneye, Anambra State, Abubakar Momoh, Edo State, John Enoh from Cross River State, Iman Suleiman Ibrahim, Nasarawa State, and Yusuf Maitama Tuggar from Bauchi State.
The Senate had on Tuesday screened nine nominees and adjourned the exercise till Wednesday. Those screened on Tuesday are ex-governors Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna, and Dave Umahi, Ebonyi; Wale Edun, Uche Nnaji, Stella Okotete, Adebayo Adelabu, Ekperikpe Ekpo, Hannatu Musawa, and Musa Dangiwa.
Those screened on Wednesday are Dele Alake, Lateef Fagbemi and Muhammad Idris, Ali Pate and Doris Uzoka.
Credible News reports that Section 147 (3) of the 1999 Constitution mandates the President to appoint at least one minister from each of the 36 states.