A petition against the nomination of the former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai when he appeared for screening at plenary on Tuesday was blocked by the lawmakers even before he could speak to defend himself.
El-Rufai who was third on the list nominees to be screened appeared and addressed the upper legislative Chamber on his political and educational profiles and also on his struggle for a democratic society which however turned awry against him that he had to go on exile.
The former Kaduna Governor who spoke with certainty of coming to oversee the power sector as its minister said the President invited him to come and clear the augian stable in the sector.
As soon as the floor was thrown open for Senators to take turns to speak on the nominee, a Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Sunday Karimi drew the attention of Senators and the nominee to a petition against him, which he said, was being submitted in line with the parliamentary rules.
Karimi Sunny (APC-Kogi) “your performance in any office you served has been outstanding. Your record is there. In FCT as a minister your record is there and as two term governor of Kaduna State.
“I have a very strong petition against you that bothers on security, unity and coereciveness on the nation and I think that petition has to be considered along this screening exercise.”
However, after raising the envelope, he submitted it to the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau who was presiding at the time, El-Rufai was being questioned.
Barau who felt a bit uneasy with the submission of Kogi lawmaker faulted the manner the petition was submitted to the Chamber.
Earlier, Senator representing Kaduna North Senatorial District on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Khalid Ibrahim Mustapha lauded El-Rufai for his exceptional leadership qualities and having spoken well of his performances in office, he urged Senators to allow the nominee to take a bow and go.
“He appeared before this hallowed chamber in 2003 and he was screened and cleared and precisely, he is a person that is well known nationally and internationally. He has the capacity to continue to be a minister.
“In this regard I want to urge the Senate to consider this and also based on the established precedence the other two former governors were told to take a bow, I therefore urge the Senate even with the question asked, the Senate should ask the nominee to take a bow and go.”
Sani Musa (APC-Niger) said the nominee has credibility when it comes to performance on every assignment he had undertaken for this country.
“Everybody here can attest to the credibility of the nominee when it comes to performance of every assignment he has undertaken in parts of this country. He is not different from every other person that have appeared before and took a bow and go.
“There are two other governors that have appeared before us for screening and there is a convention in Chambers like this and I want to propose that Malam Nasir El-Rufai should take a now and go.”
And he is not different from any other one that have performed in other places.
“There had been two former governors that had been here and there was a precedence and that precedence as a convention in chambers like this should be sustained.
Amid the rowdy session, Senate President, Godswill Obot Akpabio took over the Chair and said: “Distinguished colleagues, perhaps I have to inform all of you that I have received similar petitions from people against other nominees, but this is not where we are to deal with petitions. Our job here is to screen and of course, we can refer petitions to where petitions will be dealt with.
“They are nominees of Mr. President, if it something that there is a formal petition before the Senate, we will look at it formally, but there are certain petitions we have to refer the presidency or the security agencies to look at it and that has nothing to do with us.
“By the time we will go into confirmation, we will be so advised. So I want my brother to take a bow and go and don’t bother to explain the petition.”