The envoys will be deployed to countries and multilateral missions strategic to Nigeria’s diplomatic and economic priorities
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded a second batch of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation, barely days after transmitting the first set of three names.
In two separate letters addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, the President requested “expeditious consideration and confirmation” of 15 career ambassador–designates and 17 non-career nominees.
The latest list features ten women; four among the career nominees and six among the non-career nominees.
Among the non-career nominees are former Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu; former Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; former presidential aide Reno Omokri (Delta); former INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo; and Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia.
Also on the list are former Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Tasiu Musa Maigari; former Plateau Commissioner, Yakubu N. Gambo; and former Deputy Executive Secretary of UBEC. The President also nominated former Plateau senator Professor Nora Ladi Daduut; former Lagos deputy governor, Otunba Femi Pedro; former aviation minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode (Osun); and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu (Anambra).
Other non-career nominees include former Oyo First Lady, Fatima Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande; former Adamawa senator, Grace Bent; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim from Ondo; and Nigeria’s former ambassador to the Holy See, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue).
The career ambassadorial 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), 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 envoys will be deployed to countries and multilateral missions strategic to Nigeria’s diplomatic and economic priorities, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, Kenya, the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union. Their specific postings will be released after Senate confirmation.
President Tinubu had, just last week, sent the first batch of three 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 UK, USA or France once cleared by the Senate.
More ambassadorial nominations will be forwarded to the Senate in the coming days, according to Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who issued the statement on Friday.