The Senate has postponed the screening of seven new ministerial nominees initially slated for Tuesday, now rescheduled for Wednesday at noon. According to a statement from Basheer Lado, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Senate Matters, the delay allows all nominees to finalize essential documentation and complete pre-screening exercises.
The postponed screening affects several high-profile nominees, including Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, nominated as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Jumoke Oduwole, named as the Minister of Industry. Additional nominees include Nentawe Yilwatda for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Maigari Dingyadi for Labour and Employment, Idi Maiha for the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development, Yusuf Ata as Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, and Suwaiba Ahmad as Minister of State for Education.
This shift in screening schedule follows last week’s major cabinet reshuffle by President Tinubu, which saw five ministers dismissed, ten ministers reassigned, and these seven fresh nominees proposed for Senate confirmation. Notably, the appointment of Yilwatda as the new Minister of Humanitarian Affairs formally ends the tenure of suspended Minister Betta Edu.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, will oversee the screening process on Wednesday. This ministerial lineup reflects Tinubu’s broader goals for his administration, including new initiatives in foreign affairs, industry, humanitarian relief, labor, and even the livestock sector.
The delay has drawn national attention, with stakeholders keen on the nominees’ visions and plans for each ministry.
