Forget the remonstrations of the All Progressives Congress Caucus in the Senate. Former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro aka Koro, is likely to be cleared on Wednesday when the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly sits to screen the new ministerial nominees. He will get the chamber’s clean bill of health to join President Jonathan’s cabinet once again. The Senate had shifted the screening of the eight nominees on Wednesday, even after Obanikoro and another nominee, Joe Danlami Ikenya were already seated within the Senate wing of the National Assembly. But the APC caucus had put the postponement of the screening down to the alleged petitions against the former minister. The Spokesperson for the APC in the Senate, Babafemi Ojudu, said there were two petitions against the former minister. The petitions were said to have been submitted through Ojudu and Senator Gbenga Ashafa from Lagos East. The two petitions centered on Obanikoro’s alleged role in the June 21 Ekiti governorship saga now exposed by a rigging video and the Ilubirin Housing projects in Lagos, stopped by soldiers on the alleged orders of Koro as Minister of State. The petitions, according to Ojudu, have been forwarded to Senate President David Mark. These indeed are weighty allegations that would need to be proved. A case against Obanikoro is also before a court in Lagos. All these can stop a would-be minister from getting the plum job. But they won’t stop Koro, and one does not need to be a Nostradamous to glimpse this. Koro is an ally of the Senate President of the PDP-dominated Senate who in turn is an ally of President Jonathan who wanted to use the ministerial appointment to pacify Koro for losing out in the PDP governorship race in Lagos. Koro had resigned from his ministerial position to contest for the governorship. In that race he showed stamina, but a controversy had dogged the outcome of the primaries over which Koro headed for court. He was beginning to be a cog in the wheel for the party’s candidate, Jimi Agbaje, and Vice President Namadi Sambo had to come to Lagos to intercede and resolve the matter on behalf of the president. Koro was prevailed upon to withdraw his case in court on the promise that he would be made a minister again. The power-that-be had decried it and who will stop it? Not the David Mark’s Senate. But some guys are inded lucky! Obanikoro ate his cake and he is now having it back.
