This followed the acknowledgement of a letter from Acting President, YEMI OSINBAJO, requesting the Senate to confirm the LANRE GBAJABIAMILA as Director General of the National Lottery Commission.
However; the request by the Acting President sparked a controversy over the question of the Senate’s constitutional power to confirm appointments by the Executive.
Citing Order 14, Senator SANI AHMED drew attention to a purported statement by the Acting President, questioning the Senate’s power to confirm appointment.
Other Senators, including Senator GEORGE SEKIBO of the PDP from Rivers East and Senator IKE IKWEREMADU of the PDP from Enugu State, asked that the request for confirmation of GBAJABIAMILA should be stepped down pending clarification on the matter.
Following the development; the Senate went ahead to adopt some prayers, including asking the Acting President to respect the decision of the Senate on the rejection of confirmation of appointments.
The Senate also resolved that the Acting President must withdraw his statement on the question of confirmation, and that the Executive must adhere to the provisions in the constitution on the power of the National Assembly to confirm.
In his ruling, the Senate President, BUKOLA SARAKI noted that it was not up to any citizen to choose which law to obey, adding that the Acting President must obey the laws of the land and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
