#Screening: Ekitigate haunts Obanikoro

The resolve of Senators of the All Progressives Congress to deal with Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro over his alleged role in the Ekiti State governorship election has again stalled his ministerial screening at the upper house.

His name is among the eight new ministerial nominees before the Senate for consideration.

At the screening exercise Wednesday, the Senate had a rowdy executive session for about two hours on as a result of attempt by Senate President, David Mark, to convince his colleagues to give Obanikoro an easy passage, in accordance with the tradition of the upper chamber in the screening of former senators nominated for ministerial appointment.

Members of the opposition All Progressives Congress in the Senate had, last week, vowed to oppose the confirmation of Obanikoro based on the issue of petitions against him.

The senators took only four of the eight nominees on Wednesday, while the screening exercise for Obanikoro and the three others has been deferred to next week Tuesday.

The four nominees screened on Wednesday were Senator Patricia Akwashiki (Nasarawa); Nicholas Ada (Benue); Augustine Akobundu (Abia) and Fidelis Nwankwo (Ebonyi). Only Akwashiki, a former senator, was asked to take a bow and leave.

Obanikoro (Lagos); Hauwa Lawan (Jigawa); Kenneth Kobani (Rivers) and Joel Danlami Ikenya (Taraba) are to be screened next week.

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