President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday in a letter to the Senate nominated the immediate past minister of state for defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro as minister alongside seven others.
The president in a letter dated 16th February, 2015 and read on the floor of the Senate by the Senate president, David Mark, is requesting the Senate to confirm the nomination of Obanikoro and the seven other fresh ministerial nominees as ministers.
It would recalled that Senator Obanikoro lost out in the PDP gubernatorial primaries in Lagos State to Jimmy Agbaje and protested the outcome of the primaries. He was later prevailed upon by Vice President Namadi Sambo to accept the outcome of the primaries.
The seven fresh nominees are Senator Patricia Akwashiki from Nasarawa State, Professor Nicholas Akise Ada from Benue State, Col. Augustine Ojwudiri Akobindu (rtd) from Abia State and Engineer Fidelis Nwankwo from Ebonyi State.
Others are Mrs Hauwa’u Lawan from Jigawa State, Mr Kenneth Kobani from Rivers State and Senator Joel Danlami Ikenya from Taraba State.
The Senate according to its spokesperson, Eyinnaya Abaribe, will carry out the screening and confirmation of the nominees next week.