http://www.news.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16594:how-akunyili-survived-at-senate-38-ministers-confirmed&catid=46:lead-stories&Itemid=140
Daily Trust Newspaper
Wednesday, 31.03.2010

Intense pressure mounted on senators by Senate President David Mark and the other Senate leaders yesterday saved Professor Dora Akunyili from rejection at the ministerial confirmation hearings, according to a senator who spoke to Daily Trust last night. Mark himself acted due to pressure from the Presidency, which said Akunyili’s rejection by the Senate would be a humiliation for the Acting President. Prior to the intervention, he said, Akunyili was well on her way to be voted out.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Ayogu Eze also had an explanation yesterday for the widespread but ultimately incorrect media reports that Dr. Shamsudeen Usman had been dropped from the ministerial list. Briefing newsmen shortly after the confirmation exercise, Eze said the media reports were “as a result of conflicting signals from the Executive.” It was learnt that the Senate President’s skipping of Dr. Usman’s name from the line-up of ministerial nominees who were screened on Tuesday was actually at the President’s request. Jonathan had wanted to replace Usman with former Kano State deputy governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje at the insistence of former state governor and PDP chieftain Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Usman however survived the affair through the night.

Explaining Akunyili’s narrow escape to Daily Trust, the senate source said, “When we came to the chamber in the morning, the leadership mounted serious pressure on us that we should confirm her. Even some of those that were seen to be against her called on us to support her confirmation. Honestly I didn’t understand the rationale behind it but you see, this is parliament and in parliament we all do lobby for one thing or the other and if you refuse to support your colleague in his time of need, you too might come with your own in the future. The parliament is a place for compromise, lobbying and concession.”

Soon after Mrs. Akunyili encountered withering fire during her appearance before the Senate on Monday, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu summoned a meeting of South Eastern senators, who resolved to do all they could for her. The senator said, “You know they (South Eastern Senators) were even the ones that had issues with her nomination. They decided to forgive her of every wrong she must have done them. The National Interest Group (NIG) also played a role since they are the ones that had been meeting with the ministers. They see her as one of their own.”