Screening: Ministerial nominees lobby senators

There are strong indications that ministerial nominees, whose names were sent to the Senate on Wednesday, have started reaching out to senators ahead of their screening by the upper chamber.

Punch’s  correspondent learnt on Saturday that some of the nominees, including former governors, had sought the support of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and other senators.

It was gathered that the nominees were wary of the hard stand senators could take against them during the screening that would start this week.

It was learnt that they have been pleading for soft landing during the screening, which the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, had confirmed would start on Wednesday.

A senator from the North Central, who craved anonymity, said he was aware that some nominees had reached out the senate president and other members of the upper chamber.

The senator, who declined to name those who had reached out to him, said he did not think that his colleagues would give any nominees a tough time during screening.

On the alleged plot by some senators from the Peoples Democratic Party controlled states of Ekiti and Rivers to kick against the clearance of the ministerial nominees from their states whose names had been published in the media, the senator said that would be handled by the senate leadership.

-Punch