SENATE President, Godswill Akpabio, has reportedly rushed to the Presidential Villa, Abuja for an emergency meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following strong opposition to the ministerial nomination of Festus Keyamo by Senators who stepped down his screening on Monday.
Several broadcast stations reported that Senator Akpabio arrived the Presidential Villa at about 2.25pm shortly after the Senate stepped down Keyamo’s screening and adjourned for a close-door session.
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Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former Minister of State for Labour and Employment had was last week nominated by President Tinubu as ministerial nominee.
Akpabio’s visit to the Villa is said to be related with what transpired at the Senate Chambers during the closed-door session.
The Senate had earlier on Monday been hit by controversy over the screening of Keyamo, a situation which led the Senate leader, Senator Bamidele Opeyemi, who moved a motion for the Senate to go into Executive session.
Before the motion, Keyamo was asked to address the Chamber to explain his profile and give reasons why he should be a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
After his address, Senator Darlington Nwokocha (Labour Party) representing Abia Central Senatorial District raised a point of Order.
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He drew the attention of the Senate to alleged infractions by Keyamo against the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, when he was the Minister of State for Labour and Employment.
Senator Nwokocha explained how the nominee blocked the Reps Committee from carrying out its oversight function on the sum of N52 billion released to his Ministry.
Having explained this, he moved that the screening of Keyamo be stepped down in line with parliamentary rules, and the motion was seconded by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.
Amid the uproar, Senate President adopted a motion that the Chamber be dissolved into executive session and ordered that the nominee be taken out of the Chamber by the Sergent-At-Arms
