Ministerial screening: Akpabio halts El-Rufai amid ‘strong petition’ on Kaduna killings

On Tuesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio halted former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai from addressing a “strong petition” cited against him during his ministerial screening exercise in the Senate.

El-Rufai, who was on President Bola Tinubu’s 28-man ministerial list, was present in the red chamber for confirmation, where he shared his resume with the lawmakers. Senator Abdulaziz Yari asked El-Rufai about his plans to improve Nigeria’s electricity generation and distribution if appointed as the power minister.

However, Senator Ibrahim Khalid quickly urged his colleagues to allow El-Rufai to take a bow without further questioning, citing past instances where ex-governors were allowed to do so during their screenings.

Senator Karimi Sunday then took the floor and raised a “very strong petition” against El-Rufai, addressing issues of insecurity, unity, and national cohesion. While praising El-Rufai’s past performance as Kaduna governor and FCT minister, Sunday insisted that the petition should be considered during the screening exercise.

This statement sparked resistance from some lawmakers, and Senator Muhammad Sani suggested that El-Rufai be allowed to “take a bow and go” like other ex-governors.

El-Rufai responded to Yari’s question by suggesting that amendments to the Electricity Act 2023 and the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 might be necessary to bring about desired changes in the power sector.

Before leaving, El-Rufai attempted to address Sunday’s comment on the petition against him. However, the Senate President intervened, explaining that dealing with petitions is not within their current scope. Akpabio stated that if any formal petition is presented, it will be properly reviewed, but they would refer certain petitions to the Presidency or security agencies.

Acknowledging the situation, Akpabio urged El-Rufai to take a bow, signaling the end of the discussion on the petition. El-Rufai then left the red chambers.

It’s worth noting that Kaduna State has faced significant challenges with killings and kidnappings in recent years, particularly in Southern Kaduna. Official data from El-Rufai’s tenure as governor showed alarming numbers of fatalities and abductions in the state in 2021 and 2022. The state has also experienced devastating terrorist attacks, including an attack on a moving passenger train and an insurgency at the Nigerian Defence Academy in 2021.