Ribadu Request Senate Not To Confirm 3 Ministerial Nominees. The three individuals referred to in the DSS and NSA correspondence were a former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, Stella Okotete, and Senator Abubakar Danladi from Taraba State.
The Department of State Services (DSS) and the Office of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, communicated with the Nigerian Senate, suggesting that the lawmakers postpone the confirmation of three ministerial nominees put forth by President Bola Tinubu, as confirmed by a source.
These three nominees, Nasir El-Rufai, Stella Okotete, and Senator Abubakar Danladi, were the subjects of concern in the letters from both the DSS and NSA.
Initial reports had indicated that out of the 48 ministerial nominees submitted by Tinubu, 45 received confirmation from the Nigerian Senate.
However, following a seven-day evaluation process, the Senate excluded Nasir El-Rufai, Senator Abubakar Danladi, and the female nominee Stella Okotete from the list.
Inside sources revealed that the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Director-General of the DSS had issued letters advising against the clearance of El-Rufai, Senator Abubakar Danladi, and Stella Okotete. The closed-door session of the Senate witnessed the announcement by the Senate President.
Security reasons were cited in the letters from the NSA and DG DSS, advocating for the temporary deferment of confirmation for the trio on grounds of national security. The Senate President retained possession of the document and did not release it to the public.
Earlier, a group named Secure Nation Group (SNG) held a protest at the National Assembly in Abuja, urging lawmakers to withhold confirmation for El-Rufai due to concerns about his religious alignment and potential impact on national unity.
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The group expressed astonishment at El-Rufai’s inclusion as a ministerial nominee, citing alleged genocidal actions against Shia Muslim communities in Kaduna State and calling for an investigation into his actions.
Rumors indicated that a group of prominent Nigerian lawyers, including Aare Oladotun Hassan and Barr. Myso Nejo, urged the Senate to disqualify Stella Okotete, a former Executive Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), based on corruption allegations.
The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) previously requested financial records and other documents from Okotete to aid an investigation into allegations of fraud and misuse of public office during her tenure as Executive Director of NEXIM.
Concerning Senator Abubakar Danladi, there were reports that he faced a 10-year prohibition from contesting elections due to accusations of certificate forgery and age falsification. This issue originated from the 2019 general elections and saw a series of legal proceedings that ultimately led to his disqualification by the Supreme Court.
TL;DR
The Department of State Services (DSS) and the Office of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, have requested that the Nigerian Senate postpone the confirmation of three ministerial nominees proposed by President Bola Tinubu. The three nominees, Nasir El-Rufai, Stella Okotete, and Senator Abubakar Danladi, were the subjects of concern in the DSS and NSA correspondence. Out of the 48 nominees submitted by Tinubu, 45 received confirmation from the Nigerian Senate. However, after a seven-day evaluation process, the Senate excluded Nasir El-Rufai, Senator Abubakar Danladi, and Stella Okotete from the list. The NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Director-General of the DSS issued letters advising against the clearance of El-Rufai, Senator Abubakar Danladi, and Stella Okotete. The Senate President retained possession of the document and did not release it to the public. A group called Secure Nation Group (SNG) protested at the National Assembly, urging lawmakers to withhold confirmation for El-Rufai due to concerns about his religious alignment and potential impact on national unity. A group of prominent Nigerian lawyers, including Aare Oladotun Hassan and Barr. Myso Nejo, urged the Senate to disqualify Stella Okotete based on corruption allegations. Senator Abubakar Danladi faced a 10-year prohibition from contesting elections due to allegations of certificate forgery and age falsification.
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