Barely a week after forwarding three names, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has transmitted an additional list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Nigerian Senate for screening and confirmation.
In letters read on the floor of the Senate by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President requested the expeditious confirmation of:15 career ambassadors
and 17 non-career (political) ambassadors.
The non-career list is dominated by high-profile political figures across party lines includes:
- Former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode (Osun)
- Former Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu)
- Former Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia)
- Former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi Adebayo (Ekiti)
- Former Oyo First Lady, Florence Ajimobi (Oyo)
- Former Lagos Deputy Governor, Femi Pedro (Lagos)
- Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo)
- Former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande (Lagos)
- Former Senator, Nora Ladi Daduut (Plateau)
- Former INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu
- Reno Omokri (Delta)
- Grace Bent (Adamawa)
- Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue)
- Ogbonnaya Kalu (Abia)
- Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu (Anambra)
- Tasiu Musa Maigari (Katsina)
- Yakubu N. Gambo (Plateau)
The 15 career diplomats nominated include seasoned Foreign Service officers such as Amb. Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun), Amb. Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Amb. Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), and Amb. Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara).
The new ambassadors-designate are expected to be deployed to key capitals and missions including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, UAE, Qatar, South Africa, Kenya, as well as Nigeria’s Permanent Missions to the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.
President Tinubu, through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, indicated that additional ambassadorial nominations will be forwarded to the Senate in the coming weeks.
This brings the total number of ambassadorial nominees currently awaiting Senate confirmation to 35, with the earlier three (Amb. Ayodele Oke, Amb. Amin Dalhatu, and Rtd Col. Lateef Kayode Are) being considered for posting to the United Kingdom, United States, or France.
The Senate is expected to commence screening of the nominees shortly.
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