The crisis rocking the Senate over the screening of ministerial nominee Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi is gathering more steam.
On Tuesday, October 20, the former Rivers State governor's name was removed from the Order Paper after being listed among the eight nominees for screening.
The candidates for screening were shortlisted to three – Adebayo Shittu (Oyo), Hajia Khadija Abba-Ibrahim (Yobe) and Claudius Daramola (Ondo), who was not on the first Order Paper.
Only Shittu and Hajia Abba-Ibrahim were, however, screened.
On the first Order Paper before Amaechi’s name was removed are Shittu, Hajia Abba Ibrahim, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa), Bawa Bwari (Niger), James Ocholi (Kogi), Mansur Muhammed (Zamfara) and Zainab Ahmed (Kaduna).
Amaechi, who is on the first list of 21 nominees sent to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari on September 30, has not been screened because of the petition filed against him by the The Integrity Group.
Amaechi has since refuted the allegation against him and taken the matter to court.
The Senate on Tuesday, October 20, suspended plenary today without stating reasons.