Critics and foes are throwing obstacles on the path of some ministerial nominees. But, their supporters are also building support for their bid to scale through. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the politics of screening and the attendant drama in the National Assembly.
Ministerial screening is usually full of drama. It is always a moment of suspense and anxiety. Many interests are involved. Basking in the euphoria of rare presidential favour, nominees are happy. Their associates pop champagne. Congratulatory messages fill the air. But, those who failed to make the list are bitter, downcast and dejected. As politicians, some of them are hopeful that their names will appear on the supplementary list.
The ‘pull him down’ syndrome is at work. Opponents and other stakeholders are flooding the Senate with petitions against some nominees. Protests are also likely outside the parliament when the exercise begins on October 13. These dramas are already manifesting as the Senate is set for the special vetting.
The President has left Nigerians guessing. The ministerial list does not include portfolios. This has two implications. The senators will only ask general questions from the nominees. Also, it is when they are given portfolios that the nation will ascertain whether they are round pegs in round holes. Many observers have suggested that, in the spirit of the anti-corruption crusade, the screening will not be characterised by fraud, as it was alleged in previous dispensations.
Nigerians are conscious of the fact that the screening is taking place at a time the President of Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, is under going trial for alleged corruption. It is believed that relations between the executive and legislative arms are not cordial. Some critics have alleged that the National Assembly may create barriers by setting guidelines that may be difficult to meet. But, Senator Dino Melaye, the Chairman of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee, has cleared the air on the likely guidelines. He said the screening will be thorough, adding that the exercise will not be business as usual.
For the candidates, the screening is another battle to be fought and won. For their adversaries, it is a battle to be fought and lost. As opponents sharpen their arrows, the candidates are not leaving anything to chance. A ministerial nominee, who is a former governor, told reporters in Lagos that the screening is not taken lightly. “There is a compelling need to seek the support of the senators from my state, the governor, other party leaders, the principal officers of the Senate and the entire House. I am preparing well,” he said.
In Oyo State, there is a stiff opposition by Governor Abiola Ajimobi and other All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders to the candidature of Adebayo Shittu, a lawyer. But, the people of Oke-Ogun, where he hails from, have risen to the challenge. Shittu, a former legislator and commissioner, is also reaching out to the aggrieved chieftains. He has visited some first class traditional rulers in the state to appeal to the party leaders. Shittu is full of bravado in the public. But, he is seeking the support of those who matter in private, said one of his associates. “The ministerial slots are limited. That is why there is intense competition and struggle. Shittu has been nominated by the President. But, he is also reaching out to those who have rejected his candidature. The nominee is on a fence-mending mission to the critical stakeholders. The crisis will be resolved,” he added.
In Ekiti, stakeholders promptly welcomed former Governor Kayode Fayemi’s nomination. Hailing the president’s decision, community leaders, clerics, monarchs, intellectuals and others have described it as another call to service. Even, chieftains of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have not raised any eyebrow. Governor Ayo Fayose said the president made the right choice. A source said that one of his rivals at the governorship poll, which he lost, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, has congratulated him and assured him of his support and cooperation.
But, in Rivers State, the PDP is mounting a roadblock against former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, despite his immense popularity in the Southsouth state. A group opposed to his candidature has submitted a 88-page petition against him. But, Amaechi’s supporters, who have alleged that the group was instigated by the state government, said that the protesters are chasing shadows. In Kaduna State, some groups are asking the President to drop Amina Ibrahim. They explain that there are better candidates.
This scenario is not new. In 2007, the list had not got to the Senate when Prince Dayo Adeyeye’s name was dropped. Obasanjo was convinced to drop him when his foes catalogued his activities as the National Publicity of Secretary of Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political group. Before he defected to the PDP, he was a critic of the Obasanjo administration. A dummy was sold to the former President that a leopard cannot change its skin.
Historically, only few nominees have failed the test on the floor of the Senate. In the past, senators and influential members of House of Representatives were simply asked to ‘bow and go.’ The rare honour was also accorded to former Oyo State Governor Ajibola Ige, when he was nominated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Curiously, few nominees who were later dropped failed to answer simple questions, which should be meant for primary school pupils. For example, a nominee was nearly dropped because he could not recite the National Anthem. Another failed because he could not give the full meaning of the acronym: NEEDS (National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy). Instead, the nominee, a former diplomat from Ondo State, delved into a lecture on elementary economics. He was highlighting the difference between needs and wants. There was laughter on the floor. His name was promptly deleted from the list. He missed the opportunity.
The criterion that the three senators from each state should endorse a nominee is also weak. When the nominee and the senators belong to different parties, the senators may be reluctant to give the endorsement. Yet, when the three senators from Lagos-Oluremi Tinubu, Gbenga Ashafa and Ganiyu Solomon-refused to endorse Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, who was re-nominated by former President Goodluck Jonathan, the former Senate President, Gen. David Mark, overruled them. Obanikoro survived the hurdle.
Last week, the Senate introduced a new criterion. The nominees are expected to submit their asset declaration forms to the parliament. It is mot stated whether the asset declaration should be made public or not. Two lawyers, Wahab Shittu and Titilope Akosa, said the guideline is in order, stressing that it does not conflict with the constitution. Both of them participated in a live television programme in Lagos. Shittu said if new criteria are to be introduced by the Senate, they should promote national interest. He also advised the Senate not to act as a rubber stamp legislator. Akosa, the Director of Centre for 21st Century Issues, said the screening should not be based on sentiments, adding that senators should take decisions based on the character, capacity and competence of nominees. “The Senate should throw away sentiment and look at substance. The public should also show interest in the screening because the ministerial functions will be performed on behalf of the people,” she stressed.
Shittu, who teaches Law at the University of Lagos, Akoka, hailed the President for selecting credible and tested people. “We have nominees who are broadminded, not nominees who are ethnic champions,” he said, urging the senators to shun party leaning, primordial interest and persecution of opponents. “Screening should be in national interest and vendetta should not play a role. We should focus on excellence, learning and character, competence, capacity and performance. The business of screening is not a tea party,” he stressed.
However, the university don identified a gap in the ministerial list. He pointed out that the likely portfolios were not included in the list. Shittu said while a nominee may be generally acknowledged as a brilliant person, he may lack the capacity to head a specific ministry. “We have the challenges we want the ministers to tackle-economy, anti-corruption, infrastructure. These require competence,” he added. Shittu assessed some of the nominees, including the APC National Publicity, Alhaji Layiwola Mohammed, former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola and his Ekiti State counterpart, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, saying that they are qualified to be ministers. On Mohammed, he said: “Lai has been screened by Nigerians already and he has passed.”
However, some critics have also dissected the list, saying that it has fallen short of expectation in some areas. Akosa pointed out that the list is not gender sensitive. “We have only three women on the list.” she observed. To Tunde Akindele, the former Chairman of the Institute of Transformation of Nigeria, this omission is unpardonable. In fact, he said the list has failed to meet the expectation of the people, adding that it has now supported the push for change by the APC government. Besides, Akindele said not only has the list failed to fulfill the 30 percent reserve for women, it is not youth-sensitive.
A university don, Dr. Mutiuallah Oladapo, hailed the President for what he described as a revolutionary ministerial list, although he said the list should have been a blend of the old and young. Oladapo, who teaches Political Science at the University of Abuja, pointed out that the list was not imposed on the President. “They are the people who share his vision for change. Majority of them are elderly people, who Nigerians call the old cargo. We need to give youths the opportunity to contribute their quota to the development of the country,” he added.
A lawyer, Tokunbo Odutola, acknowledged that the list is full of the old brigade. But, he added that the list is good. On portfolios, he suggested the following: Audu Ogbeh (Agriculture), Fayemi (External Affairs), Malami (Justice), Mohammed (Aviation or Information), Dambazau (Defence).
As the stage is set for the screening, there are fears that there will be more objections to some nominees. But, the objections may be subjective. A politician, Bolaji Ajimokotan, urged the Senate to avoid errors of judgment. He predicted that some senators may deliberately oppose nominees from their states based on political difference. “Politicians from Southsouth states, which are ruled by the PDP, may instigate the three senators to move against the nominees,” he said. Urging the Senate to be above board, he said senators should give priority to objectivity and the promotion of the national interest.
