President Bola Tinubu has forwarded a new list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation, expanding his diplomatic team days after submitting the first batch of three nominees.
In two letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu requested the “expeditious” confirmation of 15 career ambassadors and 17 non-career ambassadors, including 10 women across both categories.
Among the non-career nominees are former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, former INEC chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, former Enugu State governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, former Lagos deputy governor Otunba Femi Pedro, former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode, and former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo.
Others on the non-career list include former Oyo First Lady Florence Ajimobi, former Lagos Commissioner Lola Akande, Senator Grace Bent, former Abia governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, and former envoy to the Holy See Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu.
The career ambassador nominees include Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia), Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba), Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa), Musa Musa Abubakar (Kebbi), and Syndoph Paebi Endoni (Bayelsa), among others.
Several serving ambassadors such as Shehu Barde, Ahmed Mohammed Monguno, and Muhammad Saidu Dahiru also made the list.
According to the Presidency, the envoys will be posted to countries with strategic bilateral ties to Nigeria, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, UAE, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as multilateral missions like the United Nations, African Union, and UNESCO, once confirmed by the Senate.
Recently, the President submitted three earlier nominees, Ambassador Ayodele Oke, Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu, and Retired Col. Lateef Kayode Are who are being considered for postings to the United Kingdom, United States of America, or France.
Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga in a statement on Saturday, said more ambassadorial appointments will be announced soon.
