President Bola Tinubu has forwarded a fresh list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation, days after transmitting an initial batch of three names.
The new list features former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu; former presidential aide, Reno Omokri (Delta); and former Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, among other political and career figures.
In two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu requested the “expeditious confirmation” of 15 career ambassadors and 17 non-career ambassador-designates, according to a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Onanuga noted that the list includes four women among the career nominees and six women among the non-career nominees.
The non-career category features Ogbonnaya Kalu (Abia); Omokri (Delta); ex-INEC chair Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Adebayo; and former Enugu governor Ugwuanyi. Others include former Katsina House of Assembly Speaker, Tasiu Musa Maigari; former Plateau Commissioner and ex-UBEC deputy executive secretary, Yakubu Gambo; and former Senator Nora Ladi Daduut (Plateau).
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Also nominated are former Lagos Deputy Governor, Otunba Femi Pedro; former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode; and Nkechi Ufochukwu (Anambra). The list further includes former Oyo First Lady, Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande; former Adamawa Senator, Grace Bent; former Abia Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo); and former Ambassador to the Holy See, Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue).
The career nominees comprise Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia); Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba); Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa); Musa Abubakar (Kebbi); Syndoph Paebi Endoni (Bayelsa); Chima Geoffrey Lioma David (Ebonyi); and Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun).
Others are Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo); Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo); Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger); Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina); Ambassador Ahmed Monguno (Borno); Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna); Ambassador Olatunji Sulu Gambari (Kwara); and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).
According to the Presidency, the envoys will be deployed to countries central to Nigeria’s foreign policy interests, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the UAE, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as key multilateral missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO and the African Union.
“All nominees will receive their specific postings after Senate confirmation,” the statement added.
Last week, Tinubu submitted three ambassadorial nominations—Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and retired Colonel Kayode Are (Ogun)—who are expected to be considered for postings to the United Kingdom, United States, or France.
Onanuga said more ambassadorial nominations will be announced “in due course,” confirming earlier reports that the administration plans to stagger the appointments across priority diplomatic missions.
