President Bola Tinubu has forwarded a fresh list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation, coming just days after he submitted an first batch of three names.
In two separate letters to President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu requested the expeditious confirmation of 15 career and 17 non-career nominees, including 10 women.
According to a statement issued by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Saturday, the new list reflects the President’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic engagements with strategic global partners.
Prominent among the non-career nominees are immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmud Yakubu, former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, former presidential aide Reno Omokri.
Others include former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, former Ekiti First Lady Angela Adebayo, former Lagos Deputy Governor Femi Pedro, former Oyo First Lady Florence Ajimobi, former Lagos Commissioner Lola Akande, former Adamawa Senator Grace Bent, former Abia Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, and former Ambassador to the Holy See, Paul Oga Adikwu.
The 15 career ambassador 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), and Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun).
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Others are 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).
The nominees, once cleared by the Senate, are expected to be deployed to key countries such as China, India, Canada, Mexico, the UAE, Qatar, South Africa, Kenya, South Korea, and to major multilateral missions, including the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.
Last week, the President submitted three ambassadorial nominees including Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun) who are being considered for postings to the United Kingdom, United States, or France.
Onanuga added that more ambassadorial appointments will be announced soon.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
