Ministerial nominee Balarabe Abbas Lawal, hailing from Kaduna State, collapsed during his Senate screening on Wednesday, causing frantic scenes within the Senate Chamber.
The nominee had been speaking for several minutes during his screening before suddenly falling to the floor, prompting swift action by fellow lawmakers to assist him.
Lawal is one of three new ministerial nominees undergoing scrutiny by the Senate, alongside Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim from Kwara State and Mr. Ayodele Olawande from Ondo State. Medical personnel were swiftly summoned to resuscitate Lawal after his collapse, and he has since been revived.
Lawal’s incident occurred following the screening of the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who moved a motion to extend the sitting time beyond 2 pm to conclude all the day’s proceedings.
Lawal had completed his presentation to the lawmakers, and Senator Sunday Marshal, representing Kaduna South, was expressing support for Lawal’s nomination when the unexpected incident unfolded.
The Senate went into a closed-door session while efforts were made to revive the nominee, who remained inside the chamber.
Prior to his collapse, Lawal had expressed his extensive government service experience and his intention to contribute that experience to the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He emphasized, “I have been part of administration; I have been part of policy making. I have been part of trying to change things in the country based on what I did at the federal level and the state level. I want to bring this experience to wherever I find myself in the new cabinet of the president.”
In his address to the Senate, Lawal conveyed his gratitude for the opportunity to speak before the chamber and highlighted the importance of addressing environmental issues in the country. The incident added a dramatic twist to the ongoing ministerial screening process.