Ambassadors

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent the names of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation.

This was disclosed in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, on Saturday.

The new list, which has the names of Chief Feni Fani-Kayode, former Aviation Minister, and Reno Omokri, ex-Presidential aide, is coming days after the President sent the first batch of three names.

In two separate letters to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu asked the Senate to consider and confirm expeditiously 15 nominees as career ambassadors and 17 nominees as non-career ambassadors.

four women on the career ambassadors’ list and six women on the non-career ambassadors’ list.

Among the non-career ambassador designates are Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia, a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri (Delta), former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmud Yakubu, former Ekiti first lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo, and former Enugu governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Others are Tasiu Musa Maigari, the former speaker of the Katsina House of Assembly, Yakubu N. Gambo, a former Commissioner in Plateau State and former deputy executive secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

Professor Nora Ladi Daduut, a former senator from Plateau; Otunba Femi Pedro, a former deputy governor of Lagos State; Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, a former aviation minister from Osun State; and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State are on the nomination list.

Also on the list are former First Lady of Oyo, Fatima Florence Ajimobi, former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande, former Adamawa Senator, Grace Bent, former governor of Abia, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, businessman, lawyer and Senator from Ondo State, and the former ambassador of Nigeria to the Holy See, Ambassador 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 (Kwara) and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).

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, 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.

Last week, President Tinubu sent three ambassadorial nominees for screening and confirmation. The nominees were Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun). All three are in the pot for posting to the UK, USA, or France after their confirmation.

Tinubu said more nominees for ambassadorial positions will be announced soon.

President Bola Tinubu has sent a 3-man list of ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced this at plenary on Wednesday.

The nominees are Kayode Are from Ogun State, Aminu Dalhatu from Jigawa and Ayodele Oke.

“The list contains three names for now, I am sure others will follow,” Akpabio said after reading the letter from President Bola Tinubu.

Since the emergence of Tinubu in 2023, he has not appointed an ambassador, an issue that critics have latched on to.

After President Donald Trump of the United States blacklisted Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, many blamed this on the non-appointment of ambassadors.

In an interview he granted in September, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, dismissed concerns that diplomatic missions were paralysed without appointed envoys.

“All our embassies are functioning well. The chargé d’affaires in each mission is carrying out responsibilities effectively. The absence of ambassadors has not created a vacuum”, he had said.

He explained that an ambassador is the head of mission, but the diplomatic chain of command includes deputies, counsellors and career officers who handle daily operations.

“Diplomacy is not a one-man show. The system is designed to cope with such situations,” he stated.

Tuggar noted that the appointment of ambassadors is strictly the president’s prerogative and will be made in due course.

“Mr President is considering the matter, and when the time is right, names will be announced. Meanwhile, our missions are not idle,” he had said.