The Senate has halted the screening of three ministerial nominees by President Bola Tinubu over forgery, age falsification, among other issues.
Of the 14 nominees listed on the order paper for screening, seven, including the former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, were asked to take a bow and go, while four others were screened.
Others asked to take a bow and go included two-term members of House of Representatives, Abubakar Momoh, from Etsako local government area of Edo state; Senator Abubakar Kyari, who was in the 8th and 9th senate and currently the acting national chairman of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC); a senator in the 8th Senate, Senator John Enoh; and the immediate past governor of Jigawa state, Abubakar Badaru.
Also asked to take a bow and go were former deputy chief chip of the House of Representatives, Nkiru Onyejeocha, who represented Isuikwuato/ Umunneochi federal constituency, Abia State; former member, House of Representatives and Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, since 2017, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar.
But those whose screening was put on hold and asked to clarify some issues were Prof. Joseph Utsev, who is currently the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Wannune, Benue State.
Utsev is said to be the candidate of George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The nominee, in his resume, indicated that he was born in 1980 and finished his primary education in 1989 at the age of nine, thereby drawing the attention of the Senate on how he would be in primary one at the age of three.
The two others whom their screening was put on hold were Senator Abubakar Sani Danladi, Taraba, who was alleged to have been banned by the Supreme Court from holding public office for ten years and Bello Mohammed from Sokoto State, whose case had to do with his secondary school leaving certificate.
The senate president, Godswill Akpabio, said that those who had issues would have their cases looked into at the confirmation stage.
The nominees whose names appeared on the prder paper, but were not screened included Arch. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa – Katsina state; Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji – Enugu state and Stella Erhuvwuoghene Okotete – Delta state.
