Why l Didn’t Become A Minister — Stella Okotete

The Executive Director (Business Development) of the Nigeria Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank, Stella Okotete, has revealed why she is not a Minister in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.

Recall that Okotete was recommended to the Senate for screening and confirmation by President Tinubu last year, but the Senate did not clear her for the ministerial appointment over pending “security clearance”.

While the National Assembly did not confirm her nomination citing security reasons, Fetus Keyamo was nominated from the same Delta State to replace Okotete.

Okotete, who is from Delta Central senatorial district, claimed that the refusal of the Senate to clear her for the ministerial appointment was “purely political games”.

According to her, those fighting her were doing so out of envy and fear that she may vie for the 2027 Delta State governorship election, maintaining that there was no such intention to join the governorship race.

She also said that she was not under investigation by any security outfit in the country and that she would not have remained a NEXIM Bank director if she were a security threat to the country.

In 2020, Okotete was appointed as the national woman leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress’ Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) arrangement.