Balarabe Abbas, the Ministerial nominee hailing from Kaduna State, collapsed during the screening process on Wednesday. This incident occurred shortly after President Bola Tinubu sent his name, along with two others, to the Senate for confirmation on Tuesday.
Senate Commences Screening of New Ministerial Nominees
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had read the president’s letter, which officially presented the nominees, and subsequently announced that the screening would take place on Wednesday.
However, the nominee, who collapsed to the floor after delivering a 15-minute speech, was revived by medical personnel summoned to the chamber when he fainted.
A source within the Senate revealed that the nominee had suffered from exhaustion. The Senate convened a closed-door session while efforts were made to resuscitate him inside the chamber. An ambulance transported the ministerial nominee out of the Senate chamber.
The screening process continued with the third nominee, Ayodele Olawande from Ondo State, now facing the Senate panel. Lawal was among the three new ministerial nominees undergoing Senate scrutiny, alongside Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim from Kwara State and Mr. Ayodele Olawande from Ondo State. He was the second nominee to undergo screening, following a motion by Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele to extend the session beyond 2 p.m. in order to complete the day’s agenda. During his speech, the nominee, who has extensive government experience, expressed his intention to bring his expertise to President Bola Tinubu’s administration cabinet.
He had said, “I want to indicate clearly that, as part of my career, I was appointed secretary to the government three times from 2015 till today. I want to say that I am likely the longest-serving secretary to the government in Nigeria.
“I have been part of administration; I have been part of policy-making. I have been part of trying to change things in the country based on what I did at the federal level and at the state level.
“I want to bring this experience to wherever I find myself in the new cabinet of the president. I want to express my gratitude to all of you for listening, and I also want to extend my sincere thanks to the President of the Senate for allowing me to stand before the chambers.”
