President Bola Tinubu has formally requested the Senate to screen and confirm Taiwo Oyedele as the new Minister of State for Finance, a move that would see him replace Doris Uzoka-Anite in the role.
The request was conveyed in a letter read during Tuesday’s plenary session by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, following the Senate’s return from a three-week recess held for the budget defence exercise. The nomination has been referred to the Committee of the Whole for further legislative consideration.
In the same communication, the President also sought Senate approval for the appointment of Magnus Abe as Chairman of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), alongside two nominees proposed as commissioners of the regulatory body.
Additionally, the Senate received another letter from the President requesting the confirmation of Mainasara Illo as the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Anti-Doping Centre. His nomination has been referred to the Senate Committees on Narcotics and Drugs as well as Sports for a joint screening process.
The upper chamber was also asked to confirm Francis Ifeanyi Asogwa as a commissioner representing the South-East in a federal commission. His nomination has been forwarded to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further review.
President Tinubu further submitted the names of Amina Gamawa from Bauchi State and Abdullahi Murktar from Kaduna State for confirmation as commissioners of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
All the nominations have been assigned to the relevant Senate committees for screening and subsequent legislative action.
If confirmed, Oyedele—who previously chaired the President’s Tax Reforms Committee—will assume the position currently held by Doris Uzoka-Anite. According to a statement released last week by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, Uzoka-Anite will transition to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning as Minister of State, marking her third portfolio within the current administration.
Oyedele, 50, is widely regarded as a leading public policy expert, accountant, and economist. He earned a Higher National Diploma in Accountancy and Finance from Yaba College of Technology and later obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University. Before his nomination, he served as Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
Meanwhile, the Senate also received the proposed 2026 statutory budget of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) from the President for deliberation and approval.
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