Senator Sunday Karimi representing Kogi West Senatorial District has tackled former Kaduna State Governor, Nasr El-Rufai over security and national unity issues during the resumed ministerial screening.
El-Rufai was among the ministerial nominees that appeared before the Senate for screening on Tuesday.
After addressing the lawmakers on his personal achievements in all ramifications, the ex-governor was quizzed on questions relating to power and energy.
Having received commendations on past feats, Senator Sunday, however, raised a petition against the former FCT minister when asked to speak.
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Karimi said, “Mr President, I have a petition written against the nominee over the issue of insecurity in Southern Kaduna when he was governor. If I am permitted, I will like to read the petition.”
“Your performance in any office you found yourself in this country has been outstanding, In BPE, your record is there, In FCT as a minister, your record is there, and as a two-time governor of Kaduna state.
“You did well but I have a very strong petition against you, and that borders on security, unity, and national cohesiveness of Nigerian nation and I think that petition should be considered along in this screening exercise.”
Karimi submitted the petition to the presiding officer of the ministerial screening and deputy senate president, Senator Barau Jibrin.
The Senate President Godswill Akpabio later presided and declined to dwell on the petition and asked El-Rufai to “take a bow and leave.”
The first to ask him the question was the lawmaker representing Zamfara West, Senator Abdulaziz Yari.
Following Yari’s question, the Senator representing Kaduna North, Suleiman Kwari, appealed to his colleagues to allow the former governor to take a bow.
El-Rufai, however, answered the questions by Yari after which Akpabio told him to leave.
Akpabio, who refused to take the petition, said a number of petitions were submitted against a number of the ministerial nominees.
He said, “This is not the place to consider petitions, we will sit with the petitions later and refer them to relevant authorities. Please, take a bow, my brother.”
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