President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent a fresh list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate, marking the second batch of names forwarded for legislative confirmation within days.
Presidential media aide, Bayo Onanuga, announced the development on Saturday, noting that the President urged the Senate to speedily confirm the individuals nominated to represent Nigeria across key global missions.
In two separate letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu requested confirmation for 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career nominees. According to Onanuga, the list includes four women among the career diplomats and six among the non-career nominees.
Prominent names on the non-career list include:
– Former presidential aide Reno Omokri (Delta)
– Former INEC Chairman Mahmud Yakubu
– Former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo
– Former Enugu Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi
– Barr. Ogbonnaya Kalu (Abia)
– Former Katsina House of Assembly Speaker Tasiu Musa Maigari
– Former UBEC Deputy Executive Secretary Yakubu N. Gambo
– Ex-Plateau Senator Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut
– Former Lagos Deputy Governor Otunba Femi Pedro
– Ex-Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode (Osun)
– Barr. Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu (Anambra)
– Former Oyo First Lady Florence Ajimobi
– Former Lagos Commissioner Lola Akande
– Former Adamawa Senator Grace Bent
– Former Abia Governor Okezie Ikpeazu
– Senator and businessman Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo)
– Former envoy to the Holy See Amb. Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue)
The career diplomats nominated include:
Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia); Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba); Maimuna 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); Amb. Shehu Barde (Katsina); Amb. Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno); Amb. Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna); Amb. Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara); and Amb. Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).
According to the Presidency, the nominees will be deployed to strategic missions in nations such as China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, UAE, Qatar, South Africa, Kenya, as well as multilateral platforms including the UN, UNESCO, and the African Union—pending Senate confirmation.
This new batch follows the earlier submission of three nominees last week: Amb. Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Amb. Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Col. Lateef Kayode Are (Rtd) (Ogun), who are expected to be posted to the UK, USA, or France after approval.
President Tinubu added that additional names for ambassadorial roles will be unveiled soon as part of ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s foreign service.
I have been reporting on latest news from Nigeria for almost 10 years now. I report on every possible news area I come across, but always ensure my reports are compiled with dignity and fact to uphold my personal values and duty as a journalist