President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated Kingsley Tochukwu Ude (SAN) as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, following the resignation of Uche Nnaji, the former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology.

In a letter dated Monday and read on the floor of the Senate by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President requested the upper chamber to screen and confirm Ude for ministerial appointment. The nomination was subsequently referred to the Committee of the Whole for immediate consideration and screening.

Dr. Ude, who currently serves as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Enugu State, was recently elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

His nomination comes after the resignation of Uche Nnaji, who stepped down last month amid controversies over alleged forgery and discrepancies in his academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) credentials. Nnaji, the only minister representing Enugu State in the federal cabinet, reportedly obtained his certificates from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the NYSC, which became the subject of public scrutiny.

President Tinubu’s latest ministerial nomination follows closely on the heels of the Senate’s recent confirmation of Bernard Doro, who was screened and confirmed as a Minister of the Federal Republic after a brief session last week. Doro, now the third ministerial nominee from Plateau State in the current administration, pledged to promote an “inclusive humanitarian ecosystem” during his screening.