Though the Senate informed all the ministerial nominees, including Senators Obanikoro, Patricia Akwashiki and Joel Danlami Ikenya, who were already in the White House premises of the Senate awaiting the screening, that the postponement of the exercise was due to the scheduled consideration of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), LEADERSHIP gathered that it was due to petitions against the screening of Obanikoro.
The Senate shifted the screening and confirmation of the eight ministerial nominees till next Tuesday.
Two petitions, dated February 12 and February 17 respectively, have been reportedly sent to the Senate president, David Mark, against his nomination by President Goodluck Jonathan to represent Lagos State in the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
Spokesperson of the APC, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, confirmed, while commenting on the incident that there are two petitions against Obanikoro’s nomination which are presently before the Senate president.
He added that the petition of Thursday, February 12, which came through Senators Ojudu and Gbenga Ashafa gave details of Obanikoro’s role in the August 2014 Ekiti governorship poll, use of armed soldiers to stop the Ilubirin Housing Project in Lagos, among others.
Ojudu also argued that since there is a suit against Obanikoro in a Lagos court vide No: ID/433GCN/14, it would be subjudice for the Senate to screen and confirm him alongside other ministerial nominees and advised that the screening of Senator Obanikoro be put on hold pending the dispensation of the suit.
Arguing that it would be a contempt of court to go ahead with his screening when he is currently in court over the subject, the senator said he is confident that the leadership of the Senate would be just and fair to observe the rule of law.
“There’s a court case against Obanikoro in court in Lagos and that case is coming up for hearing on March 6. Should the Senate go ahead to screen Obanikoro next Tuesday, it means the Senate has prejudiced the case. That would be illegal because the tradition and the rule is that if there’s a case before the court, the matter should not be entertained.”
“This case is already before the judiciary and it has to be with whether he’s a fit and proper person, whether he’s qualified to hold public office. Even the case of whether he has dual citizenship is not for the Senate to determine. Besides, this case is not even about that. Whatever the matter is, there’s a subsisting case against Obanikoro before the court. There’s a case before the law courts; until that case is dispensed with, nothing can be done in the Senate,” he stated.
