The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators and their colleagues in the Peoples Democratic Party have started rallying forces within their folds to consolidate on their respective positions on determining the chances of former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, being confirmed as a minister.
So far additional 7 ministerial nominees, Amaechi inclusive, had been screened by the Senate, as indications are rife that the Senate leadership may call for votes to clear them during any of its sitting this week before screening the remaining nominees.
While the APC had agreed to pass Amaechi during the process of final clearance, the PDP Senators, the Daily Times learnt at the weekend are still bent on frustrating the APC’s plan.
A Senator had hinted that the PDP Senators have been whipping anti-Amaechi sentiment among Senators, while attempting to woo to their side some disgruntled APC members to vote against Amaechi.
The former Rivers State governor had scaled the hurdle of screening last Thursday, while the PDP in protest stayed off the process with complaint that the report on petition against Amaechi had to be tabled first before he could be screened.
Former Governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, in a chat said the Senate has no reason not to clear Ameachi who he described as more than qualified to hold any ministerial position that may be assigned to him.
Wamakko said the media hype on Amaechi was needless, given that others who were equally nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari and with petitions written against them had been cleared by the Senate.
He said the Senate is peopled by experience and matured people and they know what is at stake and hence will not dwell on sentiment to do their work.
“Most of the Senators believe Amaechi is capable. He has been a governor credited with good performances. And I think the PDP cannot stop him,” Wamakko said.
The Senate Majority leader, Senator Ali Ndume, also insisted that since the PDP does not command the majority in the Senate, it would be difficult for them to ride roughshod over the majority party on Amaechi’s matter.
Ndume, in a chat, said despite the protests and petitions, the former governor remained qualified to be confirmed as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said stressed that the PDP cannot stop the Senate from confirming Amaechi or other nominees as ministers.
Checks have revealed that the anti-Amaechi sentiment in the Senate is at the instance of Senators from Rivers State who reports said are under instruction to ensure that they mobilise to stop Amaechi from being cleared.
Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike is also believed to be at the centre of the campaign to stop Amaechi based on perceived danger that Amaechi’s empowerment as a minister portends for his tenure as governor.
Wike had suffered a political setback on Saturday when the Election Petition Tribunal on Rivers Governorship election ordered a re-run of the governorship election in his state, and within the next 90 days.
However, a distraught Wike at a thanksgiving service in Port Harcourt on Sunday lashed out at Amaechi, wondering why he has been showing excitement on the prospect of being a minister under President Buhari.
He told a congregation of his supporters during the church service that he had been a minister who supervised one of the largest ministries in Nigeria and had voluntarily resigned, whereas Amaechi has been excited that he will be a minister.
He also told the congregation that the screening of Amaechi by the Senate last week was never a big deal, stressing that the screening never meant that he will be cleared to be a minister.
source-->Dailytimes.com.ng