Nigeria’s parliament will begin confirmation hearings on Tuesday for President Goodluck Jonathan’s nominee for vice president, a senior lawmaker said today.
Mr Ita Enang, chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, confirmed that President Jonathan asked parliament on Friday to approve Kaduna state Governor Namadi Sambo as his deputy.
Parliament is likely to confirm Mr Sambo without much debate because President Jonathan’s ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) dominates both houses of parliament.
“I assure you that the House (of Representatives) will treat the matter with utmost speed as requested to ensure that the Office of the Vice President does not remain vacant one day longer than necessary,” Mr Enang said.
Mr Jonathan, who was sworn in this month after the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua, surprised many by not choosing as his deputy a political heavyweight who would be well positioned to contest the presidency in 2011.
As a relative newcomer to national politics, Mr Sambo is not seen as an obvious contender for next year’s presidential elections and his appointment could clear the way for a run by Jonathan himself.
Born on August 2, 1952 in Zaria in Kaduna state, Mr Sambois married with six children.
Mr Sambo graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria with a degree in architecture and worked as agriculture commissioner in Kaduna for three years.