The Senate has confirmed the appointment of two Commissioners of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), following the consideration and adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Power.
Those confirmed are Aisha Mahmud Kanti Bello, who was re-appointed, and Dr. Animashaun Fouad Olayinka, newly appointed as Commissioner. The confirmation was announced by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary after the report was presented by the committee’s chairman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South).
In the same sitting, the Senate also confirmed the nominations of three non-career ambassadors, marking the first batch of ambassadorial nominees submitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and screened by the upper chamber.
Those confirmed as non-career ambassadors are:
- Lateef Kayode Kolawole Are (Ogun State)
- Aminu Muhammad Dalhatu (Jigawa State)
- Emmanuel Ayodele Oke, CFR (Oyo State)
The confirmations followed the adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, which conducted the screening exercise.
President Tinubu forwarded the names of the three nominees to the Senate on November 26, making it the first ambassadorial list sent to the National Assembly since his assumption of office on May 29, 2023.
Meanwhile, 64 other ambassadorial nominees, who have already been screened, are yet to be confirmed. These include several prominent political figures and former public office holders such as former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, former INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, former minister Femi Fani-Kayode, and former presidential aide Reno Omokri.
Other nominees include former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, former Lagos Deputy Governor Femi Pedro, Ondo Senator and businessman Jimoh Ibrahim, former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo, and former Adamawa Senator Grace Bent.
A breakdown of the nominations shows four women among career ambassadorial nominees and six women on the non-career list.
Also nominated as non-career ambassadors are Ogbonnaya Kalu (Abia), former Katsina House Speaker Tasiu Musa Maigari, former UBEC deputy executive secretary Yakubu N. Gambo, former Plateau Senator Nora Ladi Daduut, Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu (Anambra), former Oyo First Lady Fatima Florence Ajimobi, former Lagos Commissioner Lola Akande, and former Nigerian Ambassador to the Holy See, Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue).
President Tinubu equally nominated several career ambassadors and high commissioners, including 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 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).
The Senate is expected to take further action on the remaining nominees in subsequent plenary sessions.
