By Ben Atonko, Abuja

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday sent names of three new ministerial nominees to the Senate for confirmation.

The names were conveyed in a letter read by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio at plenary.

Among them is Balarabe Abbas Musa who takes the place of the former governor of Kaduna State Nasir Ahmed el-Rufai.

El-Rufai’s confirmation was stood down in August following petitions against him.

Musa’s name was read in the senate alongside Dr Jamila Bio Ibrahim and Ayodele Olawande as Minister for Environment, Minister of Youths and Minister of State for Youths respectively.

Musa’s nomination sealed the hope of el-Rufai being in the cabinet of President Tinubu.

Born in Zaria, Kaduna State in 1958, Musa who served as a public servant and member of the Kaduna Transition Committee.

He was a lecturer at the Administrative Staff College, Lagos and later Secretary to the Kaduna State Government.

Ibrahim who is a medical doctor served as the Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Olawande was Special Adviser to the President on Innovation from 2019 to 2023.

A couple of petitions including those sent by Senator Sunday Karimi (APC Kogi West) were presented against el-Rufai during the screening in August.

After El-Rufai’s presentation in the senate, the lawmaker stood up and told the red chamber that he had a petition against the former governor bothering on insecurity in southern Kaduna while el-Rufai was governor.

He said, “Your performance in any office you find yourself in the country has been outstanding.

“In the Bureau of Public Enterprises, your record is there. In FCT as a minister, your record is there; and as two-time governor of Kaduna state, you did well.

“And I think that the petition has to be considered in this screening exercise.”

Karimi then proceeded to lay the petition before Jibrin Barau, the Deputy Senate President who was presiding over the screening exercise at the time.

Barau in response said, “I don’t know if you followed the normal process, but this is the opportunity for nominees to explain and showcase themselves. Later we will come to confirmation and approval.”

Other senators commended el-Rufai, noting that the former governor is competent enough to be a minister.

Also the lawmaker representing Kaduna North, Ibrahim Kalid said he and his two colleagues from the state, as well as all the residents were in support of el-Rufai’s nomination as minister.

If the trio is confirmed, the number of cabinet ministers in the Tinubu administration will rise to 48.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Tuesday urged President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector General of Police (IG) to call the Kogi Commissioner of police (CP) to order over his attitude towards its governorship candidate.

The Chairman, SDP Campaign Council, Kogi East, Mr Hassan Yakubu, made the call during a press conference in Lokoja.

Yakubu said recent remarks by the CP, Onuoha Bethrand, were incriminating against the party and its governorship candidate, Alhaji Muritala Ajaka.

He said the situation became more worrisome when the CP claimed that SDP’s rally of Sept.

29 was without police permission, and that Ajaka had refused to honour invitations for discussion and was causing crises in the state.

“As a party, we are neither comfortable nor happy with such a blanket statement of lies and indictment coming from an institution that is supposed to be neutral.

“But what the public should know is that we had police and DSS approvals for the rally at Koton Karfe, where opposition party’s thugs attacked us and ended up killing one of their own.

“There are videos on how thugs invaded our campaign venue, destroyed chairs and canopies even at the palace of the traditional ruler our candidate visited.

“But for the state commissioner of police to turn round and accuse our party with emphasis on our candidate is uncalled for.

“We are calling on the president and the IG to call the CP to order because we are no longer safe with his attitude towards us,” he said.

According to the campaign council chairman, the party has always been on the defensive side following series of attacks unleashed on its supporters even when “we operate by the rules and Electoral Act.”

He said the police must change its attitude towards SDP to enable it participate fully in the Nov. 11 governorship election and emerge victorious considering the pedigree of its candidate.

Yakubu argued that the party was sure of victory at governorship election and described the followership of Ajaka as massive across the state. 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CP through the Command’s Public Relation Officer, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, had issued a press statement on Sunday accusing SDP and its candidate of some infractions in the state.

“For the record, several invitations extended to the SDP and ADC Candidates for interaction and consultation with the Police to shed light, provide explanations and give their own side of the story on Petitions written against them were to no avail.

“His (SDP Candidate’s) refusal to deal with the police is undermining peace in the state, has been impeding efforts to stream-line and regulate political activities.

“It has in turn, greatly contributed to the pockets of political violence being witnessed in the State presently. His riding rough-shod and engaging in political brinkmanship and brigandage is an ill-wind that blows no one any good,” said the CP. 

Comrade Philip Shaibu, the deputy governor of Edo state dedicated his new office on Tuesday, October 3, ahead of his resumption.

A video shared online showed over 10 priests praying, blessing and spraying holy water inside and outside the premises as other voices can be heard singing hymns and other songs.

Recall that Shaibu’s office was relocated from the state government house after he fell out with his principal, Godwin Obaseki.

The politicians fell out after Shuaibu declared his intention to seek election as governor of the state after Obaseki completes his tenure.

This caused a rift between them as Obaseki did not hide his disapproval. He took several steps including relocating Shaibu’s office out of the state government house.

They have however settled their differences after Shaibu tendered a public apology to Obaseki.