President Bola Tinubu has put forward Abbas Balarabe as the replacement for former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who was not confirmed by the Senate in August. This change was announced in a letter presented by Senate President GodsWill Akpabio during the Tuesday plenary.
Balarabe's nomination was mentioned alongside the nominations of Dr. Jamila Ibrahim and Ayodele Olawande for the positions of Minister of Youths and Minister of State for Youths, respectively, as previously selected by the president.
El-Rufai's original nomination stirred controversy, with some senators expressing concerns about his security and human rights record. Abbas Balarabe, a former commissioner for youth development in Kaduna State with a PhD in political science from the University of Jos, is now the chosen replacement.
While the exact reasons for this change are unclear, it is possible that Tinubu was motivated by the negative publicity surrounding El-Rufai's nomination. The future performance of Balarabe as a minister remains to be observed.