Tag: Nigerian Senate

Senate bars first-term senators from running for Senate president and deputy

Aminu Imam

The Senate has amended its standing orders to effectively stop first-term senators from vying for the position of Senate president and deputy Senate president. The Senate made the amendment during the plenary yesterday. This move by the Senate came a few months after Senator Abdulaziz Yari, a first-term senator who had earlier served in the House of Representatives, contested against Senator Godswill Akpabio for the position of Senate president. With the new amendment to the standing orders of the Senate, first-term senators are now excluded from those qualified or eligible…

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Senate confirmation: CBN New Gov., Cardoso vows to resist political interference

Aminu Imam

The newly confirmed governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Yemi Cardoso, has assured that he and his team will not be hijacked by politicians as they discharge their duties at the apex bank. The CBN boss stated this while appearing before the Senate on Tuesday, during the screening of his appointment on the floor of the Red Chamber in Abuja. The Senate unanimously confirmed his appointment after being screened by the lawmakers. Senate President Godswill Akpabio had asked Cardoso if he would be influenced and hijacked by…

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Senate confirms Cardoso as Gov., 4 deputies

Aminu Imam

…Says: “No politician can hijack CBN under me” The Senate, yesterday, confirmed the appointment of Dr. Olayemi Michael Cardoso as the new Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as well as 4 others nominated for the position of deputy governors of the apex bank. Cardoso, along with the Deputy Governors-Designate, Folashodun Shonubi, Mrs. A’ishah Ahmad, Edward Lametek Adamu, and Dr. Kingsley Obiora, were all confirmed following a screening conducted by the upper legislative body. The newly confirmed governor declared that the apex bank, under his leadership, will not…

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Senate withholds el-Rufa’i, 2 others confirmation as ministers over security clearance

Aminu Imam

The Senate yesterday approved the appointment of 45 out of the 48 ministerial nominees submitted by President Bola Tinubu. The nominees were confirmed after the upper legislative chamber concluded the screening of the candidates yesterday evening. However, former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufa’i, and two other nominees – Stella Okotete (Delta) and Danladi Abubakar (Taraba) – were not confirmed, as the Senate awaits security clearance about them. “The others are still awaiting security clearance,” Senate President Godswill Akpabio said, after announcing the names of those approved by the senate.…

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Ministerial Nomination: Senate screens Keyamo after tendering apology

Aminu Imam

The Senate has finally screened the ministerial nominee from Delta State, Festus Keyamo (SAN), after he tendered an unreserved apology for his attitude towards the 9th Senate. The red Chamber had dissolved to a closed session, which lasted about three hours, following a Motion by the Deputy Minority Leader, Darlington Nwokocha, and seconded by the senator representing Abia-South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, to step down Keyamo’s screening. There was a rowdy session when the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, put the Motion to vote. The Senate President was thereafter sighted at the Presidential…

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Ministerial Nomination: Group Urges Senate To Disregard Petitions Against Matawalle, Bagudu

Aminu Imam

By Godwin Amunde A group, Democracy Watch Initiative, DWI, has called on the Nigerian Senate to disregard a petition against the immediate past governors of Zamfara and Kebbi states, Bello Matawalle and Atiku Bagudu respectively. The petitioner, Osa Director, a legal practitioner, had urged the Nigerian Senate not to confirm Matawalle and Atiku Bagudu as ministers, owing to what he called the corruption allegation against them and poor performance while in office. DWI, in a statement signed by its Director, Public Relations, Tukur Habu, labeled Osa Director’s claims as baseless…

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Niger Coup:  Nigerian Senate rejects Tinubu’s planned ECOWAS military action

Aminu Imam

The Senate has washed its hands off reports of military action against the coup plotters who last week toppled the democratically-elected president of Niger Republic, warning President Bola Tinubu and Heads of States of member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to explore diplomatic, not military means, in intervening in the political impasse in the country. The Red Chamber, in an extraordinary session yesterday, also commended President Bola Tinubu for not seeking its backing for a military action in the troubled West African country Arising from…

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Ministerial Screening: “Tinubu will not regret nominating me” – Wike

Aminu Imam

…“Why we didn’t interrogate him” – Senate Former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has said that President Bola Tinubu won’t regret nominating him to serve as a minister in his cabinet. Wike, the only chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the ministerial list sent by the President to the Senate last Thursday, stated this during his screening in the Senate chamber today, July 31. Wike told the Senators that during his time as governor of the oil-rich Niger Delta state from May 2015 to May 2023, he…

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Senate seeks suspension of the proposed electricity tariff hike

Aminu Imam

Nigerian Senate yesterday, urged the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the 11 Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to halt their proposed tariff increase and “allow Nigerians to breathe”. The Senate’s resolutions, which were sequel to a Motion, titled: “Need to halt the proposed increase in electricity tariff by eleven successor electricity distribution companies, DISCOs”, sponsored by Senator Yunus Akintunde and two others, called on the Federal Government to intervene and halt the proposed increase in electricity tariff by the DISCOs. It urged the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, (NERC) to decentralize…

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Oshiomhole causes commotion in Senate after accusing APC-PDP lawmakers of looting

Aminu Imam

Former governor of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday caused disaffection among members of the upper legislative house after accusing Senators of the 9th National Assembly of looting their offices at the end of their tenure in June 2023. The rowdy session followed a Point of Order moved by Senator Solomon Adeola, saying his privilege was breached by Oshiomhole’s allegation. He called on Oshiomhole to apologise to the Senate for saying senators looted their offices. Senator Adamu Aliero supported Adeola, saying that Oshiomhole should apologise. Following the revelation, Chief Whip of…

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