President Tinubu’s letter requesting prompt consideration of the appointments was addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who presented it at the start of Thursday’s plenary session. Tinubu urged the Senate to review and confirm the seven nominees for ministerial positions.
The nominees awaiting confirmation 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). The others are Idi Mukhtar Maiha (Livestock Development), Yusuf Ata (State, Housing and Urban Development), and Suwaiba Ahmad (State Education).
Akpabio referred the nominees to the Committee of the Whole for further legislative action as soon as possible.
This development occurred just hours after Tinubu reshuffled his cabinet, dismissing five ministers, redeploying ten, and appointing seven new ones. Those dismissed included Uju-Ken Ohanenye as Minister of Women Affairs, Lola Ade-John as Minister of Tourism, Tahir Mamman as Minister of Education, Abdullahi Gwarzo as Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, and Jamila Ibrahim as Minister of Youth Development.
Among the newly appointed ministers, Yusuf Sununu was removed from his position as Minister of State for Education and assigned as Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction. Olatunji Alausa was reassigned from Minister of State for Health to Minister of Education. Bello Goronyo was shifted from Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation to Minister of State for Works.
Abubakar Momoh was relieved of his duties as Minister of Niger Delta Development and appointed as Minister of Regional Development. Uba Maigari Ahmadu was reassigned from Minister of State for Steel Development to Minister of State for Regional Development. The Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, was reassigned to the role of Minister of State for Finance, assisting the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim was replaced as Minister of State for Police Affairs and appointed as Minister of Women Affairs. Ayodele Olawande was promoted to Minister of Youth Development from his previous position as Minister of State for Youth Development. Lastly, Iziak Salako, Minister of State for Environment, was reassigned to Minister of State for Health.