On Monday, the Senate faced a challenging situation during the screening of Festus Keyamo, SAN, as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The trouble arose when Keyamo was asked to explain why he should be considered for the ministerial position.
Upon giving his address, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, representing Abia Central Senatorial District and a member of the Labour Party, raised a point of order. He cited Section 88 of the Constitution of the Republic of Nigeria, 1999, which empowers the parliament to carry out oversight functions. Nwokocha highlighted how Festus Keyamo had obstructed the lower legislative chamber’s oversight of a scheme with a budgetary allocation of N52 billion, for which he was responsible as the Minister of State for Employment, Labour, and Productivity.
Nwokocha expressed his concern that Keyamo’s actions undermined the parliament’s powers and violated certain sections of the Constitution. Consequently, he moved a motion to suspend the nominee’s screening until Keyamo provided an explanation of how the N52 billion was utilized.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South Senatorial District, supported Nwokocha’s motion by seconding it. The tension escalated, and there was uproar in the chamber. The Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, and the Senate Leader, Michael Bamidele Opeyemi, quickly consulted with the Senate President, seeking guidance on how to proceed.
Amid the confusion, the Senate President referred to the relevant section of the Senate Rules to restore order. Subsequently, Senate Leader Opeyemi proposed a motion for the dissolution of the chamber into an executive session. The motion was adopted through a voice vote, leading to the Chamber going into an executive session.
In the private session, the Senate President, aware of the delicate situation, whispered to Keyamo, advising him on the best course of action to resolve the issues and address the concerns raised during the screening process.
