President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the names of 32 additional ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, just days after submitting an initial list of three nominees.
In two separate letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President requested the swift confirmation of 15 career ambassador nominees and 17 non-career ambassador nominees.
The list includes four women among the career nominees and six women among the non-career nominees.
Notable non-career 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; and former Enugu governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Others named are former Katsina House of Assembly Speaker, Tasiu Musa Maigari; former Plateau commissioner, Yakubu N. Gambo; and former UBEC deputy executive secretary. Also featured are former Plateau senator, Professor Nora Ladi Daduut; former Lagos deputy governor, Otunba Femi Pedro; former aviation minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu of Anambra.
The list further includes former Oyo First Lady, Fatima Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos commissioner, Lola Akande; former Adamawa senator, Grace Bent; former Abia governor, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu; Ondo senator and businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim; and former Nigerian ambassador to the Holy See, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu from Benue.
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), and Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun).
Others on the career list 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).
Once confirmed, the new envoys will be posted to countries with which Nigeria maintains key diplomatic and strategic ties, 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. Postings will be assigned after Senate approval.
The President had earlier submitted three nominees for screening: 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 upon confirmation.
President Tinubu added that more ambassadorial nominations will be announced soon.
