President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent a fresh list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
In two separate letters addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu urged the Senate to give expeditious consideration to the nominees, who are split into 15 career ambassadors and 17 non-career ambassadors.
The list of non-career nominees includes Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia, a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri from Delta, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmud Yakubu, former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo, and former Enugu governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Also on the list are Tasiu Musa Maigari, former Speaker of the Katsina House of Assembly, Yakubu N. Gambo, a former Commissioner in Plateau State, and a former Deputy Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC.
The other non-career nominees are Professor Nora Ladi Daduut, a former senator from Plateau, Otunba Femi Pedro, a former deputy governor of Lagos State, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, a former aviation minister from Osun State, and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State.
They are joined by former Oyo First Lady, Fatima Florence Ajimobi, former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande, former Adamawa senator, Grace Bent, former Abia governor, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, a businessman, lawyer and serving senator from Ondo State, and the former Nigerian Ambassador to the Holy See, Paul Oga Adikwu from Benue State.
The career ambassador and high commissioner-designates are Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu from Abia, Yakubu Nyaku Danladi from Taraba, Miamuna Ibrahim Besto from Adamawa, Musa Musa Abubakar from Kebbi, Syndoph Paebi Endoni from Bayelsa, Chima Geoffrey Lioma David from Ebonyi and Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim from Ogun.
Others in the career category are Abimbola Samuel Reuben from Ondo, Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah from Edo, Hamza Mohammed Salau from Niger, Ambassador Shehu Barde from Katsina, Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno from Borno, Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru from Kaduna, Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari from Kwara and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande from Osun.
According to the Presidency, the nominees are expected to be deployed to countries where Nigeria maintains strong diplomatic and strategic partnerships such as China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa and Kenya. Others will be assigned to Nigeria’s Permanent Missions at the United Nations, UNESCO and the African Union after Senate confirmation.
The latest nominations follow an earlier batch sent last week, which included Ambassador Ayodele Oke from Oyo, Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu from Jigawa and retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are from Ogun. All three are being considered for postings to the United Kingdom, United States or France.
Tinubu noted that more ambassadorial nominees will be announced in due course.
