•Amaechi, Lai Mohammed, others remain endangered
•Villa, senators in horse trading over nominees
•Governors delay second batch
Senators angling to get their own pound of flesh have set stringent rules to interview and confirm the first batch of 21 ministers picked by President Muhammadu Buhari, who is using a long spoon to eat with Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
Saraki is on trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for alleged false declaration of assets when he was Kwara governor between 2003 and 2011.
The rules devised in the Senate on Thursday, October 8 include endorsement of at least two senators from a nominee’s state, and proof of assets declaration.
All Progressives Congress (APC) Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, may not be able to get the support of two senators from his state, Kwara, having fought tooth and nail against the election of Saraki as Senate president.
The two other Senators from Kwara are Rafiu Ibrahim and Sha’aba Lafiagi, both diehard supporters of Saraki.
For them, there can be no better way to appreciate their mentor than to reject Mohammed’s nomination for describing Saraki as treacherous, disloyal, and insincere to the APC.
Saraki is also wary that Mohammed may be the Trojan horse his “political enemy”, former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, may be using to decimate his structures in Kwara ahead of the 2019 vote.
Giving his profile, Mohammed, if confirmed by the Senate, may become information and communications minister, which will give him enormous leverage to dispense favours and jobs to Kwara indigenes, a position that may make him their new crusader.
Sources said Saraki will not let that happen. Mohammed’s partisanship and tendency for propaganda may be cited as not suited for such a job.
At press time, TheNiche learnt that Mohammed was working hard to smoothen all rough edges that could scuttle his confirmation.
Also going by the rules fashioned by the Senate, former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, may not be confirmed. All the three senators from Rivers oppose his nomination.
Former President of Nigeria Bar Association, Ikeja branch, Monday Ubani, described as oppressive the rule requiring two senators to endorse the nomination of a ministerial nominee, saying Amaechi may be the target.
In Ubani’s view, “it would be far easier to make heaven than scale the ministerial screening since making heaven relies on one’s relationship with God.
“But if one is not liked by senators from his state, there is no amount of good deeds that would qualify him.”
Opposition from states
Some ministerial nominees also face stiff opposition from their states.
There is a flood of petitions against Amaechi from aggrieved residents of the state.
A drama was created on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, October 7 when the matter was tabled by Senator George Sekibo (PDP, Rivers).
Sekibo raised point of order to submit a petition but the All Progressive Congress (APC) senators shouted “no, no, noooooo” when they discovered that it was against Amaechi.
Regardless, Saraki asked Sekibo to submit the petition.
Sekibo said: “The Integrity Group in the voluminous petition signed by one Livingstone Wike requested the Senate to reject the nomination of Rotimi Amaechi as a minister on the grounds of alleged corruption, criminal breach of trust, unlawful enrichment and conversion of over N70 billion Rivers people’s money when he served as governor between 2007 and 2015.”
According to the group, details of the N70 billion allegedly stolen by Ameachi have been forwarded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for investigation and prosecution.
The group said its move against Amaechi is without prejudice and “we shall not relent and we will stop at nothing to support the Senate and the National Assembly in the fight against corruption, particularly in ensuring that anyone, no matter how highly placed, is brought to justice.”
Sekibo said The Integrity Group believes in transparency, fighting against corruption, believes in good governance and effective utilisation of funds allocated to states.
He added: “They are based in Port Harcourt. They went into a research and discovered that over N70 billion was transferred from hard currency account to places outside the country.
“A petition on this note was written to [Buhari] I believe the president has not read it. If he has read it, he may not have hurriedly nominated Rotimi Amaechi to be a minister.
“Amaechi is qualified to be a minister but when issues of corruption and fraud are openly x-rayed by people, it is necessary for [Buhari] to take a critical look and examine the allegations from these people whether they are true or not.”
A source in the APC dismissed the perceived gang up of senators against the ministerial nominees, saying a team is discussing with the lawmakers on the screening.
“There will be a lot of horse trading at the end of the day. Of course, if they fail to do that, they will not have the opportunity to bargain for what they want,” said the source, who did not want his name in print.
But he disclosed that the screening was not discussed at the meeting Buhari held with Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara.
“Ministerial screening did not feature in that meeting. It was all about the 2016 budget. You know Buhari. He will not go into negotiation with anybody over this screening,” he insisted.
On the allegations against Amaechi, who was also the director general of the Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation, the source said “that is their cup of tea but I can assure you that there is a crack team from the party that is doing horse trading with the senators.”
Danjuma steps in for Al-Hassan
Other nominees facing stiff opposition include Jumai Al-Hassan (Taraba), Adebayo Shitu (Oyo), and Amina Mohammed (Kaduna), who is originally from Gombe.
But Al-Hassan’s hurdle may not be too high because of the alleged connections of former Defence Minister, Theophilus Danjuma.
A source in the APC told TheNiche that the nomination of the former senator was done at the instance of Danjuma to prevent her from cutting short the tenure of Taraba State Governor, Dairus Ishaku.
Al-Hassan is challenging the election of Ishaku at the tribunal and is said to have a good case to dislodge him.
Second batch
He blamed the delay in submitting the second batch of ministerial nominees on “some of the governors as well as some interest groups in some of the states where nominations have not been made.
“In all the states controlled by the APC, the governors have input. If Buhari or the party nominates somebody, they have to strike a balance before the nomination is finally made.
“If the governor makes the nomination, he has to strike a balance with the Presidency before his nomination will sail through.”