President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated Kingsley Tochukwu Ude, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) from Enugu State, to join his cabinet as a federal minister.
The nomination, which was formally communicated to the Senate, was read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Tuesday’s plenary session at the National Assembly in Abuja. In the letter, President Tinubu requested the Senate to screen and confirm Ude for ministerial appointment in accordance with constitutional provisions.
Following the reading of the President’s correspondence, Senator Akpabio referred the nomination to the Committee of the Whole for further legislative action, including screening and subsequent confirmation.
The move comes in response to the vacuum created by the resignation of Uche Nnaji, the immediate past Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, who represented Enugu State in the federal cabinet. Nnaji resigned from his position last month after controversies surrounding his academic and service credentials became public.
Reports had alleged irregularities in the certificate he claimed to have obtained from the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), as well as questions regarding his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
Nnaji’s resignation not only triggered political discussions in Enugu but also temporarily left the state without representation in Tinubu’s cabinet. The President’s decision to nominate Kingsley Ude, therefore, appears to be a deliberate effort to restore that balance and ensure Enugu retains its constitutional place at the federal executive level.
Kingsley Tochukwu Ude, SAN, is widely regarded as a respected legal practitioner with years of experience in advocacy and constitutional law. His nomination is expected to undergo screening in the coming days, after which the Senate will decide whether to confirm his appointment.
If confirmed, Ude will officially replace Nnaji as Enugu’s representative in President Tinubu’s administration.
Political analysts in Enugu have welcomed the nomination, describing it as a timely move that could restore the state’s influence at the federal level. They also expressed hope that Kingsley Ude’s appointment, if confirmed, would bring renewed focus on innovation, governance, and youth empowerment within the South East region.
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