The Senate will screen the first batch of ministerial nominees forwarded by President Bola Tinubu Monday.
After 59 days in office, President Tinubu transmitted the list of the nominees to the upper legislative chamber on Thursday, a day before the expiration of the 60-day constitutional deadline of 28 July,
The screening is expected to commence at the upper chamber this afternoon during plenary which has already commenced upon the arrival of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Also, some ministerial nominees have also arrived the National Assembly complex for screening at the red chamber.
The nominees, drawn from 25 states of the federation, comprise four former governors, six former federal lawmakers, two former lawmakers, three serving presidential advisers, and seven women, among others.
Femi Gbajabiamila, President Tinubu’s chief of staff, said the president would submit the list of nominees from the remaining 11 states soon.
Ahead of the screening, the federal government had asked the nominees to complete their documentation at the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President at the National Assembly complex between Friday and Monday 31st July 2023 to enable them to undergo the exercise.
The Senate has promised a thorough exercise. Its spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, told journalists Thursday that Nigerians would not be disappointed with how it would conduct the screening.
“This time, screening will be very thorough. It is not going to be a situation where the screening will be anyhow. We are going to know the background of the nominees, and we are not going to disappoint Nigerians. It is not going to be a shallow screening. You must have character; you must have the face; you must have the behaviour to be among the cabin crew to fly Nigeria. This time around, Nigeria is going to be better,” Adaramodu said.
It is speculated that the screening for which the Senate shifted its annual recess may take a minimum of three days.
The 109-member Senate is expected to grill the nominees on the value they will add to governance if confirmed.
