The Department of State Services (DSS) and the Office of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, have sent letters to the Nigerian Senate urging them not to confirm three ministerial nominees selected by President Bola Tinubu, according to exclusive information obtained by SaharaReporters.

The individuals in question, Nasir El-Rufai, Stella Okotete, and Senator Abubakar Danladi from Taraba State, have been implicated in the letters from both the DSS and NSA. It was reported earlier that out of the 48 ministerial nominees submitted by President Tinubu, the Nigerian Senate confirmed 45 after a seven-day screening process. However, El-Rufai, Danladi, and Okotete were excluded from the confirmation.

Sources within the Senate revealed that the Director-General of the DSS and the NSA communicated their concerns to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, advising against the immediate confirmation of these nominees. The sources disclosed that the letters cited security reasons for postponing the confirmation, stressing that the Senate President has retained possession of the documents and hasn’t disseminated them.

Earlier, SaharaReporters documented a protest organized by the Secure Nation Group (SNG) in Abuja, which took place at the National Assembly, urging lawmakers not to confirm El-Rufai as a minister. The protesters raised concerns about El-Rufai’s religious associations, deeming them a potential threat to national unity. They also called for an investigation into alleged attacks by El-Rufai on Shia Muslim communities in Kaduna State.

Additionally, on July 29, SaharaReporters disclosed that prominent Nigerian lawyers, Aare Oladotun Hassan and Barr. Myso Nejo from Juryman Associate Chambers, had written to the 10th Senate, demanding the disqualification of Okotete. The lawyers cited corruption allegations against her, including the alleged manipulation of loans and use of front-companies to defraud NEXIM Bank.

Similarly, Senator Abubakar Danladi faced disqualification due to allegations of certificate forgery and age falsification. A High Court in Jalingo barred him from contesting or holding political offices for ten years in 2019. The Supreme Court affirmed this decision, reinforcing his disqualification.

In light of these events, the Nigerian Senate is under pressure to conduct thorough investigations into the nominees before confirming their positions. The matter raises concerns about the vetting process and the potential implications for the country’s governance.

Source: Sahara Reporters