President Bola Tinubu has forwarded a fresh list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, days after submitting an initial batch of three names.
The new list includes prominent political figures such as former INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, former presidential aide Reno Omokri, and former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
The nominations were transmitted in two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, according to a statement issued on Saturday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Tinubu requested the Senate to “consider and confirm expeditiously” 15 career ambassadors and 17 non-career ambassadors.
In the statement titled “Tinubu nominates 32 additional ambassadors”, Onanuga revealed that the list contains four women among the career diplomats and six among the non-career nominees.
Among the non-career nominees are:
Mahmood Yakubu – Former INEC Chairman
Reno Omokri – Former presidential aide (Delta)
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi – Former Governor of Enugu State
Femi Fani-Kayode – Former Minister of Aviation (Osun)
Erelu Angela Adebayo – Former Ekiti First Lady
Ogbonnaya Kalu – Former presidential aide (Abia)
Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut – Former Senator (Plateau)
Otunba Femi Pedro – Former Deputy Governor of Lagos
Fatima Florence Ajimobi – Former Oyo First Lady
Lola Akande – Former Lagos Commissioner
Grace Bent – Former Adamawa Senator
Victor Okezie Ikpeazu – Former Governor of Abia
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim – Senator/businessman (Ondo)
Amb. Paul Oga Adikwu – Former envoy to the Holy See (Benue)
Those nominated as career ambassadors and high commissioner-designates 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)
Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun)
According to the Presidency, the nominees will be deployed to countries with strategic bilateral relations with Nigeria, including: China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, UAE, Qatar, South Africa, Kenya, United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.
The nominees will receive their specific diplomatic postings after Senate confirmation.
Last week, Tinubu also submitted three ambassadorial nominees: Amb. Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Amb. Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa) and
Col. Lateef Kayode Are (Rtd.) – (Ogun). They are expected to be posted to the UK, USA, or France.
Onanuga added that more ambassadorial nominations will be announced soon, noting that postings are being staggered in line with Nigeria’s foreign policy priorities.