President Bola Tinubu has sent the names of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation. Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
The nominees include former presidential aide Reno Omokri, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmud Yakubu, former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode, and former deputy governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro.
Others are the former governor of Abia, Victor Ikpeazu; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim; and a former Enugu governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Mr Onanuga noted that in two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Mr Tinubu asked the upper chamber to “consider and confirm expeditiously 15 nominees as career ambassadors and 17 nominees as non-career ambassadors.”
The lists have four women on the career ambassadors’ list and six women on the non-career ambassadors’ list.
Some of the nominees are Ogbonnaya Kalu, a former Ekiti first lady; Angela Adebayo; Tasiu Musa Maigari; Yakubu Gambo; Professor Nora Ladi Daduut; and Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State.
Also on the list are former First Lady of Oyo State, Fatima Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande; former Adamawa senator, Grace Bent; and former Nigerian ambassador to the Holy See, Paul Oga Adikwu, from Benue State.
Among the nominees for career ambassador and high commissioner-designates are 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).
The other nominees 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 (Kawara), and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).
Mr Onanuga noted that the new nominees are expected to be posted to countries with which Nigeria maintains excellent and strategic bilateral relations, such as China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, and to permanent missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.
“All the nominees will know their diplomatic assignments after their confirmation by the Senate,” he said.
Last week, Mr Tinubu sent three ambassadorial nominees for screening and confirmation. The nominees were Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun). All three are in the pot for posting to the UK, U.S., or France after their confirmation.
Mr Onanuga, however, noted that Mr Tinubu assured that more nominees for ambassadorial positions will be announced soon.
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