On Wednesday, the Senate approved the ministerial nomination of Abbas Balarabe from Kaduna State, nominated by President Bola Tinubu as a replacement for former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, whose nomination had been rejected by the Senate. Additionally, the Senate confirmed the ministerial nominations of Dr. Jamila Ibrahim, 37, from Kwara State, and Ayodele Olawande, 34, from Ondo State.
However, during the screening process, chaos erupted when Abbas Balarabe, the nominee from Kaduna State, fainted on the podium shortly after introducing himself to the Senate. Balarabe had just completed sharing his experiences and track record with the senators, approximately 15 minutes into his screening session.
Senator Sunday Katung from Kaduna South was making submissions in support of Balarabe’s nomination when the nominee suddenly collapsed. Senate President Godswill Akpabio called for immediate assistance, shouting, “Give him (Balarabe) sugar and water!” He also instructed journalists and cameramen to stop filming and to vacate the Senate chamber.
The collapsed nominee was quickly transported to the National Assembly clinic, causing confusion in the chamber. Medical professionals arrived with first-aid equipment to revive him, and after regaining his strength, Balarabe requested to continue the session. However, the Senate advised him to seek further medical attention and rest, and the screening resumed after a 45-minute break to screen the third nominee, Ayodele Olawande.
Despite the incident, all three nominees were subsequently confirmed by the Senate, bringing the President’s total ministerial appointees to 48.
Meanwhile, tragedy struck as journalist Tijani Adeyemi suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away while aboard one of the National Assembly shuttle buses. He had boarded the shuttle at the main gate (Mopol Gate) at 10 am and was discovered lifeless when he reached the checkpoint.
Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead when rushed to the clinic of the Secretary-General of the Federation. Adeyemi’s body was placed in the National Assembly’s clinic for further arrangements and was later laid to rest at the Gudu Cemetery following Islamic rites.
