There are growing indications that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will today send the list of his ministerial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Daily Trust reported that sources within the Presidency and the Senate hinted that the list was ready for official submission at the National Assembly for proper screening of the nominees.
The unnamed source said “The list is ready and the president has informed the Senate of his readiness to submit the list on Wednesday. The Senate president is expected to read it immediately when he gets it.
“The necessary security checks and clearance have been concluded, thus the decision of the president to send it to the parliament. Either today or tomorrow, the list would get to the Senate.”
The newspaper quoted another source, a lawmaker, who explained that:“We’ve been told that the list will come to us either today or tomorrow. We’re waiting and ready for the screening exercise. We’ll conclude the exercise before going on our annual recess which will last for about two months,” he said.
President Tinubu had so far spent 51 days as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria since he was sworn-in on May 29.
He has less than a month left to form his cabinet as instructed by the law.
Recall that former President Muhammadu Buhari signed a constitutional amendment bill on March 17 mandating the president and governors to submit the names of persons nominated as ministers or commissioners for confirmation by the Senate or State Houses of Assembly within 60 days of taking the oath of office.
The amendment bill received commendations from different quarters as political experts believe it will prevent needless delay in the formation of the cabinet by the executive arm of government.