President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has submitted a fresh list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate, just days after forwarding an initial list of three candidates. The update was released on Saturday by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, President Tinubu sent two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, urging the upper chamber to fast-track the screening and confirmation process.
The new list comprises 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career nominees, including four women among the career diplomats and six women among the non-career candidates.
Among the non-career nominees are Mr. Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia State; former presidential aide Reno Omokri from Delta; former INEC chairman Mahmud Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo; and former Enugu State governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. Others include former Katsina House of Assembly speaker Tasiu Musa Maigari, former Plateau State commissioner Yakubu N. Gambo, and former UBEC deputy executive secretary.
The list also features former Plateau senator Professor Nora Ladi Daduut; ex-Lagos deputy governor Otunba Femi Pedro; former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode; and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra.
Additional nominees include 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, and former Holy See ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu.
Career diplomat nominees 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), and Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun).
Others are Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara), and Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).
The nominees are expected to be deployed to countries and missions where Nigeria maintains strong diplomatic ties, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the UAE, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as multilateral platforms such as the UN, UNESCO, and the African Union. Their final postings will be announced after Senate confirmation.
Last week, the President submitted three earlier nominees; Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun), who are being considered for postings to the UK, USA, or France.
President Tinubu noted that additional ambassadorial nominations will be revealed soon.
