President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded a second batch of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, expanding the list of prospective envoys days after submitting an initial set of three candidates.
In two separate letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu requested the expeditious consideration and confirmation of 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career nominees. The new list includes four women among the career cadre and six among the non-career group.
Prominent among the non-career nominees is former Oyo State First Lady, Florence Ajimobi, who joins a list of notable personalities, including former presidential aide Reno Omokri (Delta), former INEC Chairman Professor Mahmud Yakubu, former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo, and former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Others nominated include former Katsina House of Assembly Speaker Tasiu Musa Maigari; former Plateau Commissioner Yakubu N. Gambo; former Deputy Executive Secretary of UBEC, Paul Oga Adikwu; former Lagos Deputy Governor Otunba Femi Pedro; former Aviation Minister Chief Femi Fani-Kayode (Osun); Professor Nora Ladi Daduut (Plateau); and Barr. Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu (Anambra).
Also on the non-career list are former Lagos Commissioner Lola Akande; former Adamawa Senator Grace Bent; former Abia Governor Victor Okezie Ikpeazu; Ondo Senator and businessman Jimoh Ibrahim; and other distinguished nominees.
The career ambassadorial nominees include Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia), Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba), Maimuna 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).
According to the Presidency, the new nominees will be deployed to countries with strategic bilateral ties to Nigeria, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the UAE, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as to key multilateral missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union. Final postings will be determined after Senate confirmation.
The President had earlier nominated three ambassadors last week, Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun), who are being considered for postings to the United Kingdom, United States, or France.
President Tinubu noted that additional ambassadorial nominations will be announced in due course.
