Stella Okotete: I was disqualified from being minister out of envy | I’m not a security threat

Stella Okotete, the executive director of business development, Nigeria Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank, has spoken about her disqualification as a ministerial nominee by the senate.

Okotete was recommended to the senate for screening and confirmation by President Bola Tinubu as a ministerial nominee.

But the senate did not clear Okotete, Nasir el-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna, and Danladi Abubakar, a nominee from Tabara state, citing security reports against them.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio had said the upper legislative chamber was waiting for the security clearance on the three nominees.

In 2020, Okotete was appointed as the national women leader of the All Progressives Congress’ caretaker/extraordinary convention planning committee (CECPC)

‘THOSE FIGHTING ME ARE ENVIOUS’

Speaking in an online interview “Mic on Podcast” on Saturday, Okotete said the refusal of the senate to clear her as a nominee was “purely political games”.

The former APC women leader said she would not have remained a director in the NEXIM bank if she was a security threat to the country.

Okotete added that she is not under investigation by any security outfit in the country.

“I was not beaten out of the game of becoming a minister, I think some people tried to stop me from serving the country on a higher platform and they didn’t succeed,” she said.

“I’m sure, logically speaking, if I’m a security threat or I have security issues, I won’t still be the ED of NEXIM Bank.”

Okotete said those fighting her are doing so because of their fears that she may vie for the 2027 Delta governorship election.

She added that there is no such intention to join the race to the Delta state government house in 2027.

“Most of the people fighting Stelle Okotete today are all out of envy. I will be 40 years old in April,” she said

“At 40, who can say they have seen through all the tiers of the government, from LG to state and the federal government?

“At 36, I was the national woman leader for the party and still the executive director of NEXIM. I’m sure in Nigeria, there is no woman who has held two positions of such, simultaneously.

“It is all envy. I have made impact. I understand their fears and worries. I even told those who cared to listen that I don’t have the intention…

“Some of the fears are about 2027. You know how these politicians think. I’m not vying for governor of Delta state.”