President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded a fresh list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, coming just days after submitting an initial batch of three names.
In two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President requested the “expeditious consideration and confirmation” of 15 career ambassadors and 17 non-career ambassadors.
The new list includes 10 women—four among the career nominees and six among the non-career category.
Notable nominees in the non-career category include former presidential aide Barr. Ogbonnaya Kalu (Abia); author and commentator Reno Omokri (Delta); former INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmud Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo; and former Enugu governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Others named are former Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly Tasiu Musa Maigari; former Plateau State Commissioner Yakubu N. Gambo; former UBEC Deputy Executive Secretary Yakubu A. Gambo; former Plateau senator Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut; former Lagos deputy governor Otunba Femi Pedro; former Aviation Minister Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; and Barr. Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra.
Also on the list are former Oyo First Lady Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner Lola Akande; former Adamawa senator Grace Bent; former Abia governor Okezie Ikpeazu; and Ondo senator and businessman Jimoh Ibrahim.
Former Ambassador to the Holy See, Amb. Paul Oga Adikwu, is also nominated.
The career ambassador 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), Amb. Shehu Barde (Katsina), Amb. Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Amb. Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Amb. Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara) and Amb. Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).
According to the Presidency, the new envoys will be deployed to countries with which Nigeria maintains strategic relations—including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the UAE, Qatar, South Africa, Kenya—as well as to key
