President Bola Tinubu has nominated Abbas Balarabe as a ministerial replacement for former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who the Senate did not confirm in August.
The replacement was conveyed in a letter read by Senate President GodsWill Akpabio at the 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, earlier nominated by the president.
El-Rufai’s nomination was controversial, with some senators raising concerns about his security and human rights record.
In a statement, Tinubu said Balarabe is a “highly qualified and experienced” individual who is “well-suited to the challenges of the Ministry of Youths.”
He is a former commissioner for youth development in Kaduna State and has a PhD in political science from the University of Jos.
It is unclear why Tinubu chose to replace El-Rufai with Balarabe, but it is possible that he was concerned about the negative publicity surrounding El-Rufai’s nomination.
The replacement of El-Rufai with Balarabe will likely be a victory for those who opposed El-Rufai’s nomination. It remains to be seen how Balarabe will perform as minister.
