President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent a new list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, expanding on the initial batch of three he forwarded last week. The latest list includes former INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, ex-presidential aide Reno Omokri, and former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
In two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu sought the speedy approval of 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career nominees. A statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, noted that the group includes 10 women — four on the career list and six on the non-career list.
Among the non-career nominees are former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Bisi Adebayo; former Lagos Deputy Governor Femi Pedro; ex-Oyo First Lady Florence Ajimobi; former Abia Governor Okezie Ikpeazu; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim; and former ambassador to the Vatican, Paul Oga Adikwu.
Those nominated as career ambassadors include Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia), Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba), Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa), Musa Musa Abubakar (Kebbi), and others drawn from across the federation.
According to the presidency, the envoys will be assigned to countries with strong bilateral ties to Nigeria — including China, India, South Korea, Canada, the UAE, Mexico, South Africa, and Kenya — as well as multilateral missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.
Tinubu had earlier nominated Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun) in the first batch sent to the Senate last week.
