UPDATED: Senate confirms Obanikoro

In spite of fierce opposition from lawmakers of
the All Progressives Congress (APC), the
senate on Wednesday screened Musiliu
Obanikoro for a ministerial position.
He was asked to take the customary “bow and
go” – a preferential treatment for former
senators – effectively confirming him as a
minister.
APC senators from Lagos state, represented by
Ganiyu Solomon (Lagos west), spoke against
the confirmation of Obanikoro on the grounds
that he was “implicated” in the alleged rigging
of the Ekiti election in June 2014.
Solomon pointed out that the senate had
confirmed Obanikoro before but “things had
since changed.”
He urged the senate to defer the screening and
confirmation of Obanikoro “until justice has
been done to the issue at hand”.
However, David Mark, senate president, over-
ruled the request, putting the confirmation of
Obanikoro to a voice vote.
The majority carried the day as Obanikoro was
confirmed as minister.
Gbenga Ashafa, the senator representing Lagos
east, had first raised a point of order
challenging the attempt to screen Obanikoro.
Ashafa, who said Obanikoro has a pending
case in court, brought out a copy of The Nation
Newspaper to butress his point.
He further said Mark and the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) were joined in the suit.
But Mark ruled him out of order, saying the
court was yet to serve him in that regard.
“You don’t serve me on the pages of the
newspaper. As far as I am concerned, there is
no case in court, so I rule you out of order,”
Mark said.
The first attempt at screening last week had
ended in chaos.
Speaking to journalists at the national
assembly complex, APC senators led by George
Akume, senate minority leader, expressed
dissatisfaction with the decision of the senate.
He stated that the confirmation of Obanikoro
after the rejection of his nomination by senators
from Lagos state was worrisome and
tantamount to neglecting the minority.
He added that APC senators remained opposed
to the confirmation of Obanikoro and would
continue to call for his rejection.
Also speaking, Chris Ngige (Anambra central)
said that the confirmation of the former minister
of state for defence was prejudicial as there is
already a case in court over the matter.
“Only the court can now undo what the senate
has done,” he said.
Obanikoro, former minister of state for defence,
resigned his position last year to seek the
Lagos governorship ticket of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) but lost to Jimi
Agbaje.
He was renominated as minister by President
Goodluck Jonathan.