UPDATED: Buhari withdraws ministerial nominee, Ibeto, after ‘administrative’ error

President Muhammadu Buhari has withdrawn Musa Ibeto, one of his ministerial nominees.

TheCable understands that the withdrawal of Ibeto, former deputy governor of Niger state, was to correct an error from the presidency in fielding two ministerial nominees from Niger state.

Ibeto’s name was among the first batch of nominees to the senate last‎ week, representing Niger state.

In the second batch, Abubakar Bwari‎ was named on the list of 15 nominees announced by Senate President Bukola Saraki on Tuesday, on the thought that he hailed from Bwari local government of Abuja, the federal capital territory.

It then emerged that Bwari actually hails from Niger state, which meant that there were two ministers from Niger state and none from the federal capital territory.

It is believed that the presidency spotted its error after Philips Tanimu Aduda, the senator representing FCT at the national assembly, raised a point of order at Tuesday’s screening to protest the absence of a ministerial nominee from FCT.

A nominee to represent FCT has not been announced yet. However, the senate is only in its second day of the screening, and the presidency may well name a candidate on Wednesday or Thursday (expected to be the final day), or even afterwards.