Tinubu Replaces El-Rufai With Balarabe As Ministerial Nominee

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has nominated Abbas Balarabe as a ministerial nominee.

He will replace former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, in the federal cabinet.

El-Rufai was earlier nominated as a minister but his appointment was not confirmed by the Senate.

The replacement was conveyed in a letter read by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, at plenary on Tuesday.

Balarabe’s name was read alongside Dr Jamila Ibrahaim and Ayodele Olawande as Minister of Youths and Minister of State for Youths respectively who were earlier nominated by the president.

Balarabe, a former Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, was in April appointed to lead a 65-man transition committee ahead of the swearing-in of Uba Sani.

The Senate had in August refused to confirm the nomination of El-Rufai alongside former Nexim Bank Managing Director, Stella Okotete (Delta State) and Abubakar Danlandi, a nominee from Taraba State over security clearance.

The president had earlier sent 48 nominees to the Senate out of which 45 were confirmed as ministers.