Finally, Tinubu nominates Balarabe as a ministerial nominee in place of El-Rufai

On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu replaced Malam Nasir El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna State and former ministerial nominee, with Abbas Lawal Balarabe, a former secretary to the Kaduna State Government.

Sen. Godswill Akpabio, president of the Senate, read the announcement from an executive message that had been forwarded to that effect during plenary.

In addition to serving as SSG from 2019 to 2023, Balarabe also held the positions of Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister from 2003 to 2007, as well as Special Assistant to the President in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

His most recent appointment was as the chairman of the 65-member transition committee that brought about the current Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani administration.

The Senate confirmed 45 and refused to confirm three of the first 48 cabinet nominees that President Tinubu had forwarded to it in July after examining them.

Other than El-Rufai, the other two nominees that were turned down at that time were Ms. Stella Okotete of Delta State and Abubakar Danladi of Taraba State.