The Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Financial Institutions on Wednesday extended the rare “bow and go” courtesy to Central Bank Deputy Governor nominee, Lamido Abubakar Yuguda, during his screening exercise.
The “bow and go” privilege is a mark of respect traditionally accorded to nominees with outstanding records or those well known to lawmakers. It allows them to skip rigorous questioning and proceed directly to confirmation.
Yuguda’s nomination by President Bola Tinubu was forwarded to the Senate last week Wednesday for confirmation as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. 
His appearance before the committee on Wednesday was expected to involve detailed scrutiny of his views on monetary and fiscal policy, given the weight of the CBN role.
However, the session took a different turn when Senator Osita Izunaso, representing Imo West, moved a motion that Yuguda be allowed to take a bow and leave without questioning.
Senator Sarafadeen Alli of Oyo South seconded the motion, backing Izunaso’s call to waive the standard interrogation process.
In his argument, Izunaso reminded the committee that Yuguda is no stranger to the Senate, having been screened three times previously for other key financial positions.
Those past screenings included his nomination as Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission and as a member of the CBN’s Monetary Policy Committee.
“Personally, as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Capital Market, I had close interaction with Mr Yuguda as DG SEC and found him eminently suitable for the position of Deputy Governor of CBN nominated for by President Tinubu,” Izunaso told his colleagues.
Committee Chairman Senator Adetokunbo Abiru of Lagos East, who had initially planned for members to question the nominee on policy matters, put the motion to a voice vote. The committee unanimously approved it, clearing Yuguda to exit the hearing without further questioning.
The committee is now set to present its report to the full Senate during plenary, paving the way for Yuguda’s confirmation by the Committee of the Whole in the coming hours.
