A walk-out staged by senators of the All Progressives Congress, APC, against the screening and subsequent confirmation of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro as minister could not stop the Senate yesterday, as it confirmed his nomination among six other ministerial nominees.
The spirited protest of the opposition legislators, led by Senators Bukola Saraki, APC, Kwara Central and Ganiyu Solomon, APC, Lagos West, who raised points of order to stop Obanikoro’s confirmation by the senate along seven other ministerial nominees screened before him, made the Senate session to be dramatic and tension-soaked.
Drama over screening
The drama started immediately the Senate resolved to commence the screening of the last four ministerial nominees slated for yesterday, through a motion moved by the Leader of the Senate, represented by the Deputy Leader, Abdul Ningi, PDP, Bauchi Central.
Ningi had raised order 15 of the Senate rules under personal privilege, to remind the Senate President, David Mark, that the Senate resolved last week during closed door session, to have another closed door session before carrying out screening on one of the four, Musuliu Obanikoro.
But the Senate President ruled him out of order by declaring that executive session is not a privilege but just a decision that can be made by the Senate at any time is deemed necessary.
At this point, Senators Saraki and Gbenga Ashafa made spirited efforts to stop Obanikoro’s screening by raising order 53(5) of the Senate standing rules which states “that reference should not be made by the Senate to any matter on which judicial decision is pending in such a way as might in the opinion of the Senate President, prejudice the interest of parties thereto.”
But David Mark in ruling him out of order, said nobody has served him any notice on the case and therefore, as far as he was concerned, “there is no case in court against the subject matter before the senate for legislative consideration.”
After Ashafa, came Senator Babajide Omoworare, APC, Osun East, who as a constitutional lawyer, quoted relevant sections of the constitution and senate’s standing rules, to aid his opposition against Obanikoro’s screening but was also ruled out of order by the Senate President.
Adetunbi had in his own argument against Obanikoro’s screening by the Senate premised on order 15 of the Senate standing rules, said it would be gross injustice against him if Obanikoro’s screening was allowed to take place on account that a case against that was already in court, a similar judicial process, he disclosed, made him on the advice of the the Senate President, to step down a motion he wanted to raise on the floor of the Senate over the Ekitigate saga in which Obanikoro was alleged involved.
Also, the last effort made by Senator Ganiyu Solomon, Lagos West, to stop Obanikoro met the brick wall of the Senate Leadership.
Solomon who raised order 53(9) insisted that since all the three senators from Lagos States are against Obanikoro’s screening, the senate in line with its known tradition, should defer his screening to another day, to give room for possible change of position of Lagosians in particular and Nigerians in general, against his nomination.
In his submission, the Senate President, David Mark, said the Senate with the situation on ground, was caught in between two known traditions.
The Senate, thereafter, confirmed the nomination of Obanikoro and the seven other nominees screened before it.
They were, Mrs Hauwa’u Lawan from Jigawa State, Kenneth Kobani from Rivers State, Senator Joel Danlami Ikenya from Taraba State and Senator Patricia Akwashiki from Nasarawa State.
Others are, Professor Nicholas Akise Ada, Benue State, Col. Augustine Akobundu (Abia State) and Fidelis Nwankwo, Ebonyi State.
APC senators brief press
The aggrieved APC senators later briefed the press to disassociate themselves from the confirmation of Obanikoro as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, alleging that the confirmation was null and void since the senate did not form quorum to do it after their walkout.
But the Senate’s spokesman, Eyinnaya Abaribe, PDP, Abia South, countered them by saying that “matter of quorum in the Senate as guided by its rules, is determined at inception of everyday’s business and not at the tail end in which the APC senators staged a walkout protest.”
Lagos APC on Obanikoro and Ekiti rigging scandal
Meantime, Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has described the confirmation of Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro as a Minister by the Senate despite damaging implications in a rigging scandal in Ekiti State, “as an act of impunity and corruption as well as show of shame that further muddles the image of Nigeria and the senate.”
Publicity Secretary of the party, Joe Igbokwe, while reacting to the development yesterday, said that the confirmation of Obanikoro showed the sinister intent of the senate leadership and the PDP to institute deep rooted corruption and illegality in Nigeria so long as their nefarious interests are met.
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