President Bola Tinubu is seeking the confirmation of of the Senate, 32 ambassadorial nominees who will represent Nigeria in various diplomatic missions abroad.
In two separate letters he sent to the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu asked the Senate to consider and confirm expeditiously 15 nominees as career ambassadors and 17 nominees as non-career ambassadors.
There are four women on the career ambassadors’ list and six women on the non-career ambassadors’ list.
According to a statement by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the non-career ambassador designates are former Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, his Abia State counterpart, Okezie Ikpeazu, former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, and former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.
Other are Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu (Abia), a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri (Delta), former Ekiti first lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo, Tasiu Musa Maigari, the former speaker of the Katsina House of Assembly, a former Commissioner in Plateau State Yakubu N. Gambo.
Also nominated were Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut, a former senator from Plateau; Otunba Femi Pedro, a former deputy governor of Lagos State; and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State are on the nomination list.
Equally on the list are former First Lady of Oyo, Fatima Florence Ajimobi, former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande, former Adamawa Senator, Grace Bent, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, businessman, lawyer and Senator from Ondo State, and the former Ambassador of Nigeria to the Holy See, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu from Benue State.
Among the nominees for career ambassador and high commissioner-designates are: 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).
“The other nominees 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).
“lThe new nominees are expected to be posted to countries with which Nigeria maintains excellent and strategic bilateral relations, such as China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, Kenya, and to Permanent Missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union. All the nominees will know their diplomatic assignments after their confirmation by the Senate.
Last week, President Tinubu sent three ambassadorial nominees for screening and confirmation. The nominees were Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun). All three are in the pot for posting to the UK, USA, or France after their confirmation.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said more nominees for ambassadorial positions will be announced soon.”
