- The two former governors are ministerial nominees
- Wike was confirmed by the Senate, failed to confirm el-Rufai because of an alleged security report
President Bola Tinubu is currently meeting with former governors of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The two former governors are ministerial nominees.
However, while Wike was screened and confirmed by the Senate, the nation’s upper legislative chamber did not confirm el-Rufai because of an alleged security report.
The former governors arrived the State House separately.
While Wike came at about 1:40p.m., el-Rufai entered the presidential wing of Aso Rock at 2p.m.
Sources at the Presidential Villa hinted that efforts are being made to ensure that the Senate confirms Mallam el-Rufai.
Similarly, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Support Group has urged the Senate to clear Ahmad Nasir el-Rufai and Mrs Stella Okotete without delay saying there is no justification whatever for their action.
The support group led by Engr Jator Abido, Prince Danielson Momoh, and Comrade Chinedu Livinus, called on the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the avoidable scandal involving Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio and some security agencies in the just concluded ministerial screening.
The APC Support Group described the action of the Senate as unjust and wondered why the Senate President would choose to work against his party’s interest.
According to the statement, “it’s unfortunate for Akpabio to be implicated in actions that seem detrimental to the All Progressives Congress (APC). During the election of President Bola Tinubu, prominent figures like Governor El-Rufai and Stella Oketete played pivotal roles, ensuring that Tinubu secured victories not only in in their wards but states and the nation at large and must not be treated with utmost disrespect like the Senate just did”
The group equally wondered why there was no security report against Nasir El-Rufai and Stella Oketete all through the electioneering campaigns, only for some overzealous security agencies working for enemies of the state to spring up imaginary security reports that are nothing but fictitious imaginations concocted to the tarnish the image of the nominees and deprive them from enjoying their hardwork.
“The contributions of Stella Oketete who worked as the Secretary of Election Monitoring Committee and that of El-Rufai who served as the Governor of Kaduna State during the elections demonstrated their commitment to the party’s success and they deserve to be rewarded.
Akpabio’s stance in the screening of ministers shows that he is not a true partyman and a clear indication that he has a hidden agenda behind his recent actions. It’s obvious he has an evil agenda which is potentially harming the unity and progress of the APC”, the statement added.
The group listed some of Governor El-Rufai’s contributions which they described “as invaluable, as he stood steadfast in various challenges including a showdown with the former president over the introduction of new naira notes, and even confronting notable party figures like former Chairman Abdullahi Adamu and ex-Senate President Ahmed Lawan in the interest of the nation”.
The group finally appealed to the President and all relevant stakeholders to call the Senator Akpabio to order, emphasising the importance of maintaining party cohesion and addressing any internal conflicts that may hinder the APC’s overall progress.