The Senate began its screening process yesterday, but the screening of three ministerial nominees was postponed due to allegations of age forgery and age falsification.
According to the Vanguard, out of the 14 nominees listed for screening, seven were asked to take a bow and leave, while four others were successfully screened.
Among those asked to take a bow were Nyesom Wike, the former governor of Rivers State; Senator Abubakar Kyari; Abubakar Momoh, a two-term member of the House of Representatives; Abubakar Badaru; and Senator John Enoh, the former governor of Jigawa State.
Nkiru Onyejeocha and Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, both former members of the House of Representatives, were also asked to take a bow. However, three nominees faced issues that needed clarification.
Prof. Joseph Utsev, the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Wannune, was asked to explain his age discrepancy, as his resume stated that he finished primary education at the age of nine.
Senator Abubakar Sani Danladi, from Taraba, was accused of being banned by the Supreme Court from holding public office for ten years. Bello Mohammed, from Sokoto State, faced concerns regarding his secondary school leaving certificate.
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The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, stated that these issues would be investigated further during the confirmation stage. Three other nominees, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, Stella Erhuvwuoghene Okotete, and Arch. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa were listed on the Order Paper but were not screened.
The screening process began at 1:32 p.m. and ended at 6 p.m., with Abubakar Momoh being the first to appear and subsequently being asked to take a bow.
Nyesom Wike, the former governor of Rivers State, confidently expressed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would not regret nominating him, highlighting his accomplishments in executing and commissioning capital projects in Rivers State.
Senator Mpigi Barinada voiced his support for Wike, stating that over five million people from Rivers State also backed his nomination and urging his colleagues to approve him without obstacles.
