President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the names of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, days after submitting an initial batch of three nominees.
In two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President requested that the Senate consider and confirm expeditiously 15 career ambassadors and 17 non-career ambassadors. Among the nominees, there are four women in the career ambassadorial list and six women in the non-career list.
Notable non-career ambassadorial nominees include Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia, former presidential aide; Reno Omokri from Delta; former INEC Chairman Mahmud Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo; former Enugu Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and several other prominent figures such as Tasiu Musa Maigari, Yakubu N. Gambo, Professor Nora Ladi Daduut, Otunba Femi Pedro, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu. The list also includes former First Lady of Oyo Fatima Florence Ajimobi, former Lagos Commissioner Lola Akande, former Adamawa Senator Grace Bent, former Abia Governor Victor Okezie Ikpeazu, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, and former Ambassador to the Holy See, Paul Oga Adikwu.
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).
The nominees are expected to be posted to countries with strategic bilateral relations with Nigeria, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the UAE, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as to Permanent Missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union. Their specific postings will be announced after Senate confirmation.
Last week, President Tinubu sent three ambassadorial nominees for screening and confirmation: Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun). They are in line for postings to the UK, USA, or France.
President Tinubu has indicated that more ambassadorial nominees will be announced in the coming weeks.
