President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has submitted a new list of 32 additional ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, days after forwarding the first batch of three names.
In two separate letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu requested the expeditious confirmation of 15 career ambassadors and 17 non-career ambassadors. The lists include 10 women—four career and six non-career nominees.
Among the high-profile non-career nominees are former Oyo First Lady Florence Ajimobi, Ondo senator and businessman Jimoh Ibrahim, former Lagos deputy governor Otunba Femi Pedro, former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode, former INEC chairman Mahmud Yakubu, former presidential aide Reno Omokri, former Enugu governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo.
Others include former Katsina House of Assembly Speaker Tasiu Musa Maigari, ex-UBEC deputy executive secretary Yakubu N. Gambo, former Plateau senator Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut, former Lagos Commissioner Lola Akande, former Adamawa senator Grace Bent, former Abia governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Barr. Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu, and Nigeria’s former ambassador to the Vatican, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu.
The career 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, once confirmed, will be deployed to countries with which Nigeria maintains strategic relations—including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the UAE, Qatar, South Africa and Kenya—as well as permanent missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO and the African Union.
Last week, President Tinubu sent the first batch of nominees: Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa) and retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun), who are expected to be posted to the UK, USA or France.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said more nominees will be announced soon.
