There were strong indications on Friday that the Senate may eventually settle for the replacement of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro as a ministerial nominee of Lagos State. Highly placed sources in the Red Chamber on Friday told The Eagle Online that confirming Obanikoro will create rancour in the Senate. It could be recalled the Senate had twice deferred Obanikoro’s confirmation due to the insistence of the All Progressives Congress senators from Lagos State not to shift grounds on the issue. Ministerial nominees need the consent of senators from their state to secure passage in the Senate. A source close to a meeting held on Friday informed The Eagle Online that unless some opposition senators are able to convince their counterparts from Lagos State to shift their stance, it would be the end of Obanikoro’s ambition to return to the Federal Executive Council. The senators are also expected to put on strong arguments to douse the import of the implication of confirming Obanikoro by the Senate despite his involvement in the alleged audio rigging tape of the Ekiti State governorship election. The source further revealed that when the Senate resumes for sitting on Tuesday, it will also go into another closed doors meeting to deliberate on the implication of confirming Obanikoro on the Senate. However, the source said the position of APC senators still remain fixed in their position on the matter. They have said there is no way Obanikoro will appear before them without their raising the Ekiti State issue on the floor. Their contention is that if not properly handled, it may embarrass the Senate. Yet, it is one issue which the leadership of the Senate is trying to avoid.
