Senate suspends Udeh’s ministerial confirmation over pending security report

The Senate on Wednesday withheld the confirmation of Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh as minister following the non-availability of his mandatory security clearance.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who announced the decision during plenary, said the upper chamber would not proceed with Udeh’s confirmation until it received the relevant security report from appropriate authorities.

“The confirmation of the minister-nominee would have been next on the list, but we need security clearance before we can take further action,” Akpabio told lawmakers.

President Bola Tinubu had, in a letter read during Tuesday’s plenary, requested the Senate’s confirmation of Udeh, who hails from Enugu State, as a minister of the Federal Republic.

The nomination, conveyed under Section 147(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), was intended to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former minister of innovation, science and technology, Uche Nnaji, on October 7 following allegations of certificate forgery.

In his letter, President Tinubu stated, “In compliance with the provisions of Section 147(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, I am pleased to forward to the Senate the nomination of Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh for confirmation as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

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He further urged the lawmakers to give the request “the usual expeditious consideration,” expressing confidence in Udeh’s competence and service record.

After the letter was read, the Senate referred the nomination to the Committee of the Whole for consideration. However, deliberations were later suspended pending clearance from the security agencies.

Udeh currently serves as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Enugu State.