The rejected nominees are Aliyu Sa’ida Abubakar (Bauchi), nominated for the post of Stakeholders Management and Ezekiel Yissa (Kwara), nominated as Non-Executive Commissioner.
One of the rejected nominees, Aliyu, had led a protest calling for the dissolution of the Senate.
During his screening at the Senate Committee on Communications on October 18, 2016, lawmakers confronted Mr Abubakar with evidence that he led a protest against the National Assembly. He did not deny it, but maintained his stand and insisted that the Senate should be scrapped.
Presenting the report of the committee on the floor of the Senate, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Gilbert Nnaji, noted that Mr Abubakar was not prepared for the demands of the office.
“Abubakar’s response to the questions and issues raised by the committee unveils him as a candidate who is not prepared for the demands of office,” Mr Nnaji said.
As for Yissa, the committee chairman said, “Yissa’s background as a career nursing officer will not put him in good stead to be able to effectively cope with the dynamics of the communications sector if his nomination is confirmed.”
Thus, Aliyu and Yissa were denied confirmation.
