President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded 32 new ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, following an earlier submission of three nominees. The announcement was made on Saturday by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga.
Tinubu, in two letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, requested the prompt confirmation of 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career nominees. The career list includes four women, while six women are among the non-career nominees.
Prominent figures among the non-career nominees include Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia, former presidential aide Reno Omokri (Delta), former INEC chairman Mahmud Yakubu, former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo, and former Enugu governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. Others include former Katsina House of Assembly Speaker Tasiu Musa Maigari, ex-Plateau commissioner Yakubu N. Gambo, Professor Nora Ladi Daduut, Otunba Femi Pedro, former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode, and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu.
Also listed are former Oyo First Lady Fatima Florence Ajimobi, former Lagos Commissioner Lola Akande, ex-Adamawa Senator Grace Bent, former Abia governor Victor Okezie Ikpeazu, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo), and former Nigerian ambassador to the Holy See, Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue).
Career ambassador and high commissioner nominees include Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia), Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba), Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa), Musa Musa Abubakar (Kebbi), Syndoph Paebi Endoni (Bayelsa), Chima Geoffrey Lioma David (Ebonyi), Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun), Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara), and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).
Onanuga said the nominees will be posted to countries and organizations where Nigeria has strong diplomatic interests, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, UAE, Qatar, South Africa, Kenya, and multilateral missions like the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.
Last week, Tinubu submitted three nominees—Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun)—who are slated for postings to the UK, USA, or France. Tinubu confirmed that additional ambassadorial appointments will be announced soon.
