Tinubu Seeks Senate Approval For Joseph Tegbe As Power Minister

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested the Senate to confirm the nomination of Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbeas Minister of Power, following the resignation of Adebayo Adelabu.

The request was conveyed in a letter read during Tuesday’s plenary by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.

“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 for confirmation by the Senate the nomination of Mr Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the letter read in part.

Tinubu added, “While I hope this request will receive the expeditious consideration of the Senate, please accept… the assurances of my highest regards.”

After reading the correspondence, Akpabio referred the nomination to the Committee of the Whole for immediate consideration.

“This correspondence is referred to the Committee of the Whole for immediate action,” he said.

Tegbe’s nomination follows the exit of Adelabu, who stepped down in March 2026 to pursue the Oyo State governorship race ahead of the 2027 elections, in line with a directive requiring political appointees seeking elective office to resign.

In an earlier statement, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, noted that the nomination is intended to strengthen ongoing reforms in the power sector, improve grid stability, and attract sustainable investment under the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Tegbe, an indigene of Oyo State, is a fiscal and economic reform expert with over three decades of experience spanning both the public and private sectors. He previously served as Senior Partner and Head of Advisory Services at KPMG Africa and currently holds the position of Director-General and Global Liaison for the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership.

He also chaired the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee, inaugurated in 2025, and has been involved in regulatory and institutional reforms within the power sector, including engagements with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company.