President Bola Tinubu has transmitted the name of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Enugu State, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu-Udeh, to the Senate for confirmation as a minister.
The President’s request was contained in a letter read during Tuesday’s plenary by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
According to 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.
The nomination comes in the wake of the resignation of former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji.
Nnaji stepped down last month amid controversies over his academic credentials, including a disputed certificate allegedly obtained from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and his National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate.
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.
His nomination signals Tinubu’s bid to quickly restore Enugu’s representation in the cabinet and maintain constitutional balance across the geopolitical zones.
After reading the President’s letter, Akpabio referred the nomination to the Committee of the Whole for immediate screening and confirmation.
