In a letter read by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio at plenary on Thursday, July 27, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu requested the confirmation of 28 nominees for appointment as Ministers. According to the letter, the names of the remaining nominees will be forwarded on a later date.
President Tinubu’s list of ministerial nominees is coming 59 days from his inauguration on May 29, 2023. A recent amendment to sections 147 and 197 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution requires the President and State Governors to forward the names of persons nominated as Ministers or Commissioners to the Senate or the State House of Assembly, as the case may be within 60 days from their date of inauguration. While President Tinubu has narrowly escaped being out of time on this constitutional timeline, it is unclear when he will forward the follow-up list of ministerial nominees to the Senate and whether he will be acting unconstitutionally in doing so after the 60th day (July 28). The Constitution is silent on what happens if this provision is violated.
Section 147 (3) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution requires that ministerial appointments are made in conformity with the Federal Character principle stipulated in section 14 (3) of the Constitution, with at least one Minister appointed from each State of the Federation. However, according to Senator Akpabio who read President Tinubu’s letter on the floor of the Senate, the nominees’ States of origin were not included in the letter.
The nominees forwarded to the Senate by the President are as follows:
Senator David Umahi
His Excellency, Nyesom Wike
His Excellency, Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai
His Excellency, Badaru Abubakar (CON)
Senator Abubakar Kyari
Senator John Enoh
Hon. Nkeiru Onyejeocha
Hon. Olunbunmi Tunji-Ojo
Hon. Stella Oketeteh
Hon. Uju Kennedy Ohaneye
Chief Uche Nnaji
Arch. Ahmad Dangiwa
Ambassador. Yusuf Maitama Tukar (CON)
Mr. Abubakar Momoh
Dr. Bertha Edu
Dr. Doris Uzoka
Mrs. Ekarikpe Ekpo
Mr. Bello Ahmed Goronyo
Mr. Dele Alake
Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN
Mr. Mohammed Idris
Mr. Waheed Adebayo Adelabu
Mrs. Iman Suleiman Ibrahim
Prof. Ali Pate
Mr. Olawale Edun
Prof. Joseph Utsev
Barr. Hannatu Musawa
Mr. Sani Abubakar Danladi
According to section 147 (6) of the Nigerian Constitution, the Senate has 21 working days to confirm ministerial nominees from the day it receives such nominations. If this period lapses, the nominees will be deemed to have been appointed.