The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday finalised screening of ministerial nominees, with confirmation of 18 nominees slated for Thursday.

Five nominees, Okechukwu Eyinna Enelamah, Anthony Gozie, Musa Bello, Adamu Adamu, and Aisha Abubakar, were all screened on Wednesday to join 13 others waiting for confirmation.

Abubakar had faced uncertainty after the Senate received petitions from her state, Sokoto, against her nomination for alleged incompetence, but she emerged unscathed.

Wednesday’s exercise brings the total number of screened nominees to 36.

Ahmed Ibeto’s nomination was withdrawn as he was from Niger State, the same as Abubakar Bawa.

On October 14, members of the red chamber confirmed 18 of the 21 nominees who made the first list submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari at the end of September.

Those confirmed include Udoma Udo Udoma, Kayode Fayemi, Audu Ogbe, Ogbonnaya Onu, Osagie Ehanire, Abdulrahman Danbazzau, Lai Mohammed, Amina Mohammed, Ibrahim Jubril, Babatunde Fashola, Aisha Alhassan, Hadi Sirika, Solomon Dalong, Ibe Kachukwu, Kemi Adeosun, Abubakar Malami, Suleiman Adamu, and Chris Ngige.

Two nominees, Adebayo Shittu, from Oyo State, and former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, who were on the first list, saw their screening delayed and joined the second list of 16 nominees received by the Senate President Bukola Saraki the previous day, October 13.

The 16 names on the second list are Kadija Bukar Ibrahim, Heineken Lokpobiri, James Ocholi, Isaac Adewole, Omoleye Daramola, Anthony Onwuka, Jeffery Onyema, Dan Ali, Zainab Ahmed, Okechukwu Elelema, Muhammadu Bello, Mustapha Baba Sheturi, Aisha Abubakar, Adamu Adamu, Pascal Husseini and Abubakar Bawa.