Senate to begin screening of ministerial nominees tomorrow

This follows President Tinubu’s request to the Senate to confirm these new ministerial appointees.

Senator Basheer Lado, Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, confirmed today that the nominees have begun submitting necessary documentation as part of the initial requirements for their Senate screening and confirmation.

The Senate is expected to conduct the screening and confirmation in line with Section 147 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

Last week, shortly after their nomination, President Tinubu formally requested the upper chamber to consider and confirm the seven nominees for ministerial positions.

The nominees include Nentawe Yilwatda (Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction), Muhammadu Dingyadi (Labour & Employment), Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu (State Foreign Affairs), and Jumoke Oduwole (Industry, Trade and Investment). Other nominees are Idi Mukhtar Maiha (Livestock Development), Yusuf Ata (State, Housing and Urban Development), and Suwaiba Ahmad (State Education).

The President’s request to the Senate comes after a recent cabinet reshuffle, during which he dismissed five ministers, reassigned ten others, and appointed seven new nominees.

Those removed from office include Uju-Ken Ohanenye (Minister of Women Affairs), Lola Ade-John (Minister of Tourism), Tahir Mamman (Minister of Education), Abdullahi Gwarzo (Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development), and Jamila Ibrahim (Minister of Youth Development).

Among those reassigned were Yusuf Sununu, now Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction; Olatunji Alausa, now Minister of Education; Bello Goronyo, now Minister of State for Works; Abubakar Momoh, now Minister of Regional Development; and Uba Maigari Ahmadu, now Minister of State for Regional Development.

Additional reassignments include Doris Uzoka-Anite, now Minister of State Finance; John Enoh, now Minister of State for Trade and Investment; Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, now Minister of Women Affairs; Ayodele Olawande, promoted to Minister of Youth Development; and Iziak Salako, now Minister of State for Health.