Balarabe Lawal, one of the ministerial nominees at the screening on Wednesday, claims that his sudden collapse during the Senate exercise was caused by exhaustion and that he is “alright now.”.
Lawal, a native of Kaduna State, was screened alongside fellow nominees, Jamila Ibrahim (Kwara) and Ayodele Olawande (Ondo), to join 45 ministers previously approved by the Red Chamber in August.
The screening followed President Bola Tinubu’s letter to the Senate read on the floor of the legislative chamber on Tuesday, seeking its confirmation of the nominees.
However, as the screening went on, things took a dramatic turn when Lawal – the second to be called up after Ibrahim – collapsed after only concluding his introduction, causing several people present to rush to his aid.
About an hour and one closed session of the Senate later, the nominee exited the chamber wearing a wry smile.
“I’m alright now. I’ve been treated and I’m alright now. It was basically exhaustion,” he told journalists.
While the Kaduna native was unable to take questions due to the incident, his nomination was confirmed alongside his fellow nominees.