Senator Ali Ndume has defended the Senate’s role in confirming, not screening, presidential nominees, amid the fallout from Uche Nnaji’s resignation over alleged certificate forgery.
Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has clarified that the Senate is not responsible for screening presidential nominees, insisting that such duties fall to the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies.
Ndume’s remarks came amid controversy over the resignation of Uche Nnaji, former minister of innovation, science and technology, who stepped down following allegations of certificate forgery.
Nnaji dismissed the allegations as a “sustained campaign of falsehood,” stressing that his resignation was not an admission of guilt but respect for due process.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Ndume said: “We are not screening — get this clear. Screening and confirmation are two different things. Before the president sends a candidate to the Senate, several processes are involved, including checks by the SSS. The SSS has to clear the person first.”
He added that the issue of forged documents is widespread in Nigeria, not limited to politicians. “This issue of forgery is a big problem in Nigeria,” he said.
Ndume recalled that the Senate had previously rejected a nominee after the DSS flagged concerns, stressing: “We don’t do screening — we only confirm.”