The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday halted the confirmation of Kingsley Udeh (SAN) as a ministerial nominee due to the absence of the mandatory security clearance required before approval.
During the plenary session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio explained that the upper chamber could not move forward with the confirmation process until the necessary security documentation was received from the appropriate authorities.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had nominated Udeh to represent Enugu State in the Federal Executive Council after the resignation of Uche Nnaji, who previously served as Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology. Nnaji’s resignation followed controversies surrounding his academic qualifications, leaving Enugu without a ministerial representative.
Although a senator mentioned that Udeh was on his way with the clearance documents, lawmakers insisted that the Senate must follow due procedure and not act without official confirmation from security agencies.
Akpabio noted that the Senate would not keep the confirmation process pending indefinitely and directed the Senate Leader to move a motion for a closed-door session to address pending national matters. The motion was seconded, and lawmakers proceeded into the executive session.