President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has submitted a second batch of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation, days after forwarding an initial list of three nominees.
In two separate letters addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu requested the expeditious confirmation of 15 career ambassadors and 17 non-career ambassadors. The list features four women among the career nominees and six women among the non-career nominees.
Prominent figures on the non-career list include former presidential aide Barr. Ogbonnaya Kalu (Abia); Reno Omokri (Delta); former INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo; and former Enugu State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Others include former Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Tasiu Musa Maigari; former Plateau Commissioner, Yakubu N. Gambo; former UBEC Deputy Executive Secretary, Yakubu Gambo; former Plateau Senator, Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut; ex-Lagos Deputy Governor, Otunba Femi Pedro; and former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.
The list also features Barr. Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu (Anambra); former Oyo First Lady, Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande; former Adamawa Senator, Grace Bent; former Abia Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu; and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim of Ondo State. Former Nigerian Ambassador to the Holy See, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue), also made the list.
Career ambassadorial 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).
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).
According to the presidency, the nominees—upon confirmation—will be deployed to countries with which Nigeria maintains key diplomatic and strategic relations, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the UAE, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as multilateral missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.
The latest nominations come a week after the president forwarded three names—Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun)—who are being considered for postings to the United Kingdom, the United States, or France.
President Tinubu noted that additional ambassadorial nominations will be announced in due course.
