The Presidency appeared to have started reaching out to members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the Senate with a view to ensuring soft landing for the ministerial nominees when the screening starts next week.
This came to the fore when the Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, addressed a joint press conference on Tuesday in company with the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate) Senator Ita Enang.
Enang, who represented Akwa-Ibom North West Senatorial District in the Seventh Senate on the platform of the PDP, was allegedly denied a ticket by his party, the PDP, to return because Akpabio, who was the state governor then, was interested in the seat.
Enang, who was Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business in the Seventh Senate, defected to the All Progressives Congress in the twilight of the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration.
Enang told journalists in company with Akpabio in Abuja that he had initiated contact with PDP Senators as part of his duty to reach out to all sections in the National Assembly.
He said, “Part of our job is to reach out to all the sections. And the past is gone, this is a new beginning. We are doing this in the interest of Nigerians”.
Akpabio, on his part, said he would like to know what the nominees would offer Nigerians.
He, however, expressed satisfaction with the ministerial list presented by Buhari.
Akpabio added, “Even though in the opposition party, we believe strongly in one Nigeria and we believe in the unity and progress of this country.
“Our stand is that anything that can elevate the living standards of Nigeria and improve upon the economy and the economic of the entire country, that we will do anything within our powers to play our role.
“It our duty to rally round the President to make the economy improve. On a personal note, I am impressed with the list sent by the President. I believe that he has kept to his words by ensuring that he sought out a lot of people of integrity that can salvage the country.
“The Senate will still do its work of screening and re-screening. More than 70 to 80 per cent of the list should scale through.
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