President Bola Tinubu made a nomination on Tuesday, selecting Abbas Balarabe as a replacement for the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, whose name was conspicuously absent from the Senate’s list of confirmed ministerial nominees.
This omission left Kaduna as the sole state without a nominee in the new cabinet.
The announcement of this replacement was conveyed through a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during the plenary session on Tuesday.
Here are seven noteworthy details about Abbas Lawal Balarabe:
1. Born on February 5, 1958, Balarabe is 65 years old and hails from Kachia Local Government in Kaduna State.
2. He possesses a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1978-1981) and holds an M.Sc in Political Science from the same institution (1984-1986).
3. From 2015 to 2023, Balarabe served as the Secretary to the State Government of Kaduna under the administration of Nasir El-Rufai.
4. He has previously worked as a Special Assistant to the Federal Minister of Education in Abuja from September 1999 to February 2001 and as a Special Assistant to the Minister of State (Army) at the Ministry of Defence from February 2001 to May 2003.
5. Balarabe’s career also includes roles as a Special Assistant to the President in the Federal Capital Territory and as the Chief of Staff to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, among other positions, from July 2003 to July 2007.
6. Apart from his public service, Balarabe is involved in real estate and property management and currently serves as the Managing Director of Rightedge Property Nigeria Limited in Abuja since October 2008.
7. Additionally, Balarabe is actively engaged in agricultural activities, including poultry, livestock, and crop production, particularly in the Zaria Metropolis.
