Tinubu nominates Balarabe to replace El-Rufai as ministerial nominee
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated Abbas Balarabe as a replacement for the former Kaduna Governor, Nasir El-Rufai whose nomination was rejected by the Senate in August.
The replacement was contained in a letter read by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, at the plenary on Tuesday.
Other names that read alongside Balarabe are Dr Jamila Ibrahaim and Ayodele Olawande as Minister of Youths and Minister of State for Youths respectively, who were earlier nominated by the president.
Recall that El-Rufai’s was not among the ministerial nominees confirmed by the Senate in August.
El-Rufai’s nomination was controversial, with some senators raising concerns about his security and human rights record.
In a statement, Tinubu said Balarabe is a “highly qualified and experienced” individual who is “well-suited to the challenges of the Ministry of Youths.”
He is a former commissioner for youth development in Kaduna State and has a PhD in political science from the University of Jos.
It is unclear why Tinubu chose to replace El-Rufai with Balarabe, but it is possible that he was concerned about the negative publicity surrounding El-Rufai’s nomination.
The replacement of El-Rufai with Balarabe will likely be a victory for those who opposed El-Rufai’s nomination.
It remains to be seen how Balarabe will perform as minister.