The Senate on Monday suspended the screening of a nominee for a ministerial position, Festus Keyamo (SAN).
The suspension was due to a motion moved by Darlington Nwokocha, a lawmaker representing Abia central when Keyamo appeared before the lawmakers.
According to Nwokocha, Keyamo who was Minister of Labour and Employment under former president Muhammadu Buhari ignored the summon of parliament in 2020 over the employment scheme of 774,000 Nigerians recruited for the special public works programme.
Senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, backed Nwokocha’s motion to step down Keyamo’s screening.
When Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, put the motion to a voice vote there was no clear outcome.
The development saw the Senate dissolved into a closed session to resolve the issue, with the media asked to leave the gallery.
Meanwhile, minutes after the rowdy session, the Senate President rushed to the Presidential Villa.
It is believed that the Akpabio heading to the Villa could be connected to what happened during the screening of Keyamo on the floor of the Senate.
On Friday, 4 August 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu nominated Keyamo, as minister.
Keyamo’s nomination was announced in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read during plenary.
His nomination followed the submission of the second batch of ministerial nominees by Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Wednesday, 2 August.
