Presidency disowns Osinbajo’s comments on Senate confirmations

The Presidency yesterday distanced itself from the statement allegedly made by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo that certain nominees need no Senate confirmation.

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said at no time did the Federal Executive Council take a position or decide on the issue.

The AGF and the presidential spokesman separately addressed State House correspondents after yesterday’s FEC meeting, presided over by Osinbajo.

The Senate had on Tuesday resolved to stop all confirmation hearings for nominees forwarded by Osinbajo until the question over its power to confirm appointees is resolved.

It had in April suspended the confirmation of President Buhari’s nominees for Resident Electoral Commissioners over his refusal to remove the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, whose nomination it had twice rejected following a report by the Department of State Security Service.

Malami said: “The fundamental consideration about the alleged statement (by Osinbajo) is the fact that at no point ever did the Federal Executive Council sit down to arrive at the decision in one way or the other as far as the issue of nomination or otherwise is concerned. So, I do not think it constitutes an issue for the Federal Executive Council to make any clarification about because it has never been considered by the FEC.”

Shehu clarified that the remarks made months ago by Osinbajo on nominees’ confirmation was his personal opinion.

He said Osinbajo was being misconstrued for merely corroborating a lawyer’s view that a certain category of appointees need not undergo Senate’s screening.

Shehu emphasised that there was no official position or decision on the matter by FEC.