Deborah Akinyosoye
President Bola Tinubu has nominated the immediate past National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu; a former presidential aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri; a former aviation minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, and 29 others for the position of ambassador.
Also on the ambassadorial nominee list are two loyalists of the Minister of the FCT Nyesom Wike, who were members of the defunct G-5 governors: former governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and the former governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu
The President has forwarded the names of the 32 ambassadorial nominees, comprising career and non-career ambassadors, to the Senate for confirmation, days after he 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.
There are four women on the career ambassadors’ list, and six women on the non-career ambassadors’ list.
Non-career ambassadors
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, Mahmood 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.
Career ambassadors
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 (Kawara) and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).
According to the statement from the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, “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.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said more nominees for ambassadorial positions will be announced soon.