In what was yet another embarrassing mistake, President Muhammadu Buhari forwarded two ministerial nominees from one state to the Senate for screening and confirmation but had to subject one of them to mental agony by withdrawing his nomination hours before he was scheduled to appear before the upper chamber.

The name of Ahmed Musa Ibeto (Santurakin Kontagora) was in the first list of 21 submitted on September 30, only for that of Abubakar Bawa Bwari to be in the second batch of 16 nominees submitted on Monday, October 12. Both men hail from Niger State.

Ibeto, 56 and a former deputy governor of Niger State, was expected to appear before the Senate yesterday for screening, only for him to be humiliated by having his nomination withdrawn at the late hour – news that President Buhari had written to Senate President Bukola Saraki to withdraw his nomination filtering out as other nominees were being screened.

Buhari has vowed to run a lean government and is toying with the idea of reducing the number of ministries from over 40 to around 20. He is bound by the Nigerian Constitution to appoint a minister from each state.

•Photo shows President Buhari.