President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested the Senate to confirm the nomination of Dr. Zainab Marwa as a member of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), representing the North-East geopolitical zone.
The request was conveyed in a letter addressed to the upper chamber and read during Thursday’s plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In the correspondence, President Tinubu stated that the nomination was made in accordance with Section 2 of the Niger Delta Development Commission Establishment Act, which empowers the President to appoint members to the commission’s governing board subject to Senate confirmation.
The President explained that the appointment is intended to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former board member, Abdulrazak Namdas, who represented the North-East zone.
According to the President, Namdas stepped down from the board on March 30, 2026, to pursue his governorship ambition in Adamawa State ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Part of the letter read: “In compliance with the provisions of Section 2 of the Niger Delta Development Commission Establishment Act, I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate the nomination of Dr. Zainab Marwa as member representing the North-East in the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission.”
The President further informed lawmakers that the nomination was necessary to ensure the continued representation of the North-East on the commission’s board following the emergence of the vacancy.
“The Senate is invited to note that the appointment of Dr. Zainab Marwa is to fill a vacuum created by the resignation of the immediate past member of the board, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, from the North-East Zone, who resigned on the 30th day of March, 2026, to contest for the position of Governor of Adamawa State,” the letter stated.
Tinubu expressed confidence in the nominee and urged the Senate to give the appointment expeditious consideration.
“On this note, it is my hope that the Senate will consider and confirm the appointment of Dr. Zainab Marwa as member of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission to represent the North-East Zone,” he added.
Following the reading of the letter, Senate President Akpabio referred the nomination to the Senate Committee on NDDC for screening and further legislative consideration.
The committee was directed to conduct the necessary evaluation of the nominee and report its findings and recommendations to the Senate within one to two weeks.
If confirmed, Dr. Marwa will join the NDDC governing board at a time when the commission is intensifying efforts to drive infrastructure development, economic empowerment and environmental remediation programmes across the Niger Delta region.