As the Senate wound up screening of Ministerial nominees which began four weeks ago, expectations were high as to the confirmation of the remaining 18 including the former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi whose nomination generated so much controversies and drew the ire of PDP Senators.
However, after today’s plenary, PDP Senators met behind close doors in their numbers to fine-tune what DAILY POST later gathered as their preparation for the confirmation which may come up tomorrow or any other legislative day.
Sources from the meeting have revealed that Rotimi Amaechi may be ambushed during the confirmation which would be put up through voice votes during plenary.
An attempt to speak with Chairman, Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Samuel Anyanwu ton the report on Amaechi which was laid within the week, but not deliberated upon before his screening was turned down while he asked for another day for him to oblige the request.
Meanwhile, a ranking senator from Zamfara who pleaded anonymity expressed dismay at what he described as “personal vendetta”, against Amaechi by some PDP Senators despite the fact that there was limitation to what they could do in Amaechi’s matter.
“Don’t quote my name. Some of the PDP Senators want to ambush Amaechi during confirmation and this issue has gone beyond politics to personal vendetta now; it is not all of them.
Bearing this in mind and any other unforseen circumstances, he stressed that all APC Senators should attend legislative proceedings in their numbers to support the cause of their party.
“I want to call on all APC members that this is not the time to stay away. We should be at plenary purposely for this confirmation because of any eventuality so that what happened in the past should not happen again,” he opined.
It will be recalled that PDP Senators had stayed away from posing questions to Rotimi Amaechi in protest that due process was not exhausted regarding the petition that was written against him. Senator Godswill Akpabio who is the minority leader told the Senate at plenary when Amaechi was to be screened on Tuesday last week, that the party was not ready to ask Amaechi questions.
Senator Gershom Bassey representing Calabar South Senatorial District while speaking with DAILY POST also faulted the manner Rotimi’s report was handled. He suggested that there was nothing to hurry about in terms of Amaechi’s screening, but that the Senate should have waited until the outcome of the petition against him was determined.
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