MINISTERIAL LIST: Why Buhari holds on to 15 other nominees

ABUJA—There are feelers from the Presidency that the
remaining 15 names of ministerial nominees will hit the
Senate early next week after what sources described as
‘laborious’ security checks and vetting of the prospective
nominees.
The high-wire tension and expectations with which
Nigerians awaited President Muhammadu Buhari’s
ministerial nominees have been doused with his
submission of names of 21 nominees to the Senate.
As of last night, the various security agencies were said
to be working frantically to beat the new deadline said to
have been given to them by the President.
Vanguard gathered that the security checks on the
remaining nominees are being carried out within and
outside Nigeria.
NIGERIA @55— Third from left: Speaker, House of
Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Vice President Yemi
Osinbajo; President Muhammadu Buhari; Senate
President, Bukola Saraki and Chief Justice of the
Federation Mahmud Mohammed and others, cutting the
cake to celebrate the 55th Independence Anniversary of
Nigeria at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa, Abuja,
yesterday. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida.
The President on Wednesday forwarded to the Senate,
names of 21 nominees for confirmation, with a promise
to send the others in due course.
Each state of the federation is, by virtue of the
constitution, entitled to a ministerial slot in the federal
cabinet.
Vanguard gathered, yesterday, that the Presidency
insisted that more background checks be conducted on
the nominees, especially against the backdrop of the
need to avoid making mistakes in appointing the wrong
persons into the cabinet.
It was further learned that the names of those
transmitted to the Senate on Wednesday were those
whose background checks had been concluded.