The Senate has officially confirmed the appointments of 45 out of the 48 ministerial nominees put forth by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The confirmation took place on Monday, August 7, during the Senate’s session. The remaining three nominees are being held back due to ongoing security clearance processes.
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The comprehensive screening of 45 nominees as potential cabinet members was completed during the session. Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the confirmation after the nominees were given a voice vote approval by the senators during the plenary.
President Tinubu had submitted a list of 28 candidates to the red chamber for approval on July 27. The announcement of the 45 confirmed nominees follows more than a week of deliberations.
Nasir El-Rufai, former Governor of Kaduna State, Sani Danladi, a former Taraba senator, and Stella Okotete, a nominee from Delta State, are the three individuals whose confirmation has been deferred due to pending security clearance.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele moved a motion to return to plenary to report progress, which was seconded by Minority Leader Simon Mwadkwom.
Earlier in the process, the upper legislative chamber screened nominees Mariya Mahmoud (Kano) and Festus Keyamo (Delta) during a Committee of the Whole session led by Mr. Akpabio. These screenings marked progress following the previous screening of 46 nominees between Monday and Saturday of the prior week.
Over a series of three correspondences on July 28, August 3, and August 4, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu transmitted the nominees’ names to the upper house, culminating in the Senate’s verdict.
It is noteworthy that in the letter sent on August 4, President Tinubu withdrew the nomination of Maryam Shetty from Kano, subsequently replacing her with Mrs. Mariya Mahmoud. This alteration raised eyebrows and generated discussions both within the Senate and the nation.
Below is the list of the confirmed nominees by zone:
South-South Zone – 7 nominees
Ekperikpe Ekpo (Akwa Ibom)
Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa)
Betta Edu (Cross River)
John Enoh (Cross River)
Festus Keyamo (Delta)
Abubakar Momoh (Edo)
Nyesom Wike (Rivers)
South East Zone – 5 nominees
8. Nkiru Onyejiocha (Abia)
Uju Ohaneye (Anambra)
David Umahi (Ebonyi)
Uche Nnaji (Enugu)
Doris Uzoka (Imo)
South West Zone – 9 nominees
13. Dele Alake (Ekiti)
Tunji Alausa (Lagos)
Lola Ade John (Lagos)
Ishak Salako (Ogun)
Bosun Tijjani (Ogun)
Olawale Edun (Ogun)
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (Ondo)
Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun)
Adebayo Adelabu (Oyo)
North East Zone – 7 nominees
22. Tahir Mamman (Adamawa)
Yusuf M Tuggar (Bauchi)
Ali Pate (Bauchi)
Abubakar Kyari (Borno)
Alkali Ahmed Saidu (Gombe)
Uba Maigari Ahmadu (Taraba)
Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe)
North West Zone – 9 nominees
29. Mohammed Badaru (Jigawa)
Maryam Mairiga Mahmoud (Kano)
Abdullahi T Gwarzo (Kano)
Ahmad Dangiwa (Katsina)
Hanatu Musawa (Katsina)
Yusuf Tanko Sununu (Kebbi)
Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi)
Bello M Goronyo (Sokoto)
Bello Matawalle (Zamfara)
North Central Zone – 8 nominees
38. Joseph Utsev (Benue)
Zephaniah Bitrus Jisalo (FCT)
Shuaibu A Audu (Kogi)
Lateef Fagbemi (Kwara)
Imaan S-Ibrahim (Nasarawa)
Mohammed Idris (Niger)
Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger)
Simon Lalong (Plateau)
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