President Bola Tinubu is seeking Senate confirmation for Enugu State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu-Udeh, as a minister.
The request was read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Tuesday.
If confirmed, the nominee will replace Chief Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, from the same state, who resigned as Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology in the heat of a certificate scandal allegation on 7 October.
According to President Tinubu, the nomination was made in line with Section 147 (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the President to appoint ministers subject to Senate confirmation.
‘I am pleased to forward to the Senate the nomination of Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu-Udeh, SAN, for confirmation as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
‘While I hope that this request will receive the usual expeditious consideration of the Senate, please accept, distinguished Senate President and distinguished Senators, the assurances of my highest regards’, the letter read in part.
Nnaji’s exit left Enugu State without representation in the Federal Executive Council — a constitutional requirement that mandates at least one minister from each of the 36 states of the federation.
Udeh, a respected legal practitioner recently conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, is being tapped to fill that vacancy.
After reading the President’s letter, Akpabio referred the nomination to the Committee of the Whole for immediate screening and confirmation.
