President Tinubu Nominates 32 Additional Ambassadors

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has transmitted a fresh list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation, days after forwarding an initial batch of three names.

In two separate letters read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu requested the expeditious confirmation of 15 career ambassadorial nominees and 17 non-career nominees.

The list of career diplomats features four women, while six women are included among the non-career nominees.

Notable names on the non-career list include former presidential aide Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu (Abia), former presidential spokesman Reno Omokri (Delta), former INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmud Yakubu, former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo, and former Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Others are former Speaker of the Katsina House of Assembly, Tasiu Musa Maigari; former Plateau Commissioner, Yakubu N. Gambo; former UBEC deputy executive secretary, Dr. Yakubu Gambo; former senator from Plateau State, Professor Nora Ladi Daduut; former Lagos Deputy Governor, Otunba Femi Pedro; and former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.

Also nominated are Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu (Anambra), former Oyo First Lady, Florence Ajimobi, former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande; former Senator Grace Bent (Adamawa); former Abia Governor, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo); and former ambassador to the Holy See, Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue).

Career ambassador-designates on the list 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), 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).

The nominees are expected to be deployed to countries with which Nigeria maintains strategic diplomatic ties — including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the UAE, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya — as well as multilateral missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.

Last week, President Tinubu submitted three earlier nominees — Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun) — who are expected to be posted to the United Kingdom, United States, or France upon confirmation.

According to Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, more ambassadorial nominations will be forwarded to the Senate in due course.