Former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi
There are indications that some senators from the Peoples Democratic Party would try to stonewall the confirmation hearing as a minister for former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi. The PDP Senators may even stage a walkout if they failed to have their way.
Amaechi is the last person remaining to be heard by the Senate among the first 21 nominees sent by President Muhammadu Buhari on 30 September.
His screening had suffered several shifts, principally because the report of the Senate ethics committee on petitions against him was not ready.
The report is now slated to be presented to the Senate plenary today, ahead of the invitation of Amaechi to face the whole Senate.
Political observers believe that though Amaechi would face hostile PDP senators, especially from his state of Rivers, his approval would boil down to a flexing of muscle between the PDP and the APC senators, who are in the majority.
Majority leader of the Senate, Ali Ndume has given the indication of where the pendulum would swing: The APC senators would back their own and give Amaechi the support he needs.
Ndume said the 8th Senate belongs to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
According to him, the PDP should note that it has become a minority, a situation where the majority would always have its way, warning that PDP cannot disqualify Amaechi based on what he described as triviality instead of the constitution. He added that Amaechi has not been convicted by any court of law.
Senator Ali Ndume
Ali Ndume boasted that the Senators will determine the fate of Amaechi and not the report of Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.
He added that Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu would not have presided yesterday because APC ministerial nominees were being screened, …Read More
Source:: PM Newspaper
