President Tinubu has forwarded the complete list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate.
Confirming this, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said on Saturday, that the President transmitted the second batch of nominees and asked the Senate to give “expeditious consideration” to 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career ambassadors.
According to Onanuga, the list features four women among the career nominees and six women among the non-career nominees.
Prominent non-career nominees include Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia, former presidential aide Reno Omokri from Delta, former INEC chairman Mahmud Yakubu, former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Adebayo, and former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, both known allies of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
Other nominees include former Katsina Speaker Tasiu Maigari, former Plateau commissioner Yakubu Gambo, former senator Professor Nora Daduut from Plateau, former Lagos deputy governor Otunba Femi Pedro, former aviation minister Femi Fani Kayode, former Oyo First Lady Florence Ajimobi, former Lagos commissioner Lola Akande, former Adamawa senator Grace Bent, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim from Ondo, and former ambassador to the Vatican Paul Adikwu from Benue.
The career diplomats listed are Enebechi Okwuchukwu from Abia, Yakubu Danladi from Taraba, Miamuna Besto from Adamawa, Musa Abubakar from Kebbi, Syndoph Endoni from Bayelsa, Chima David from Ebonyi, Mopelola Adeola Ibrahim from Ogun, Abimbola Reuben from Ondo, Yvonne Odumah from Edo, Hamza Salau from Niger, Ambassador Shehu Barde from Katsina, Ambassador Ahmed Monguno from Borno, Ambassador Muhammad Dahiru from Kaduna, Ambassador Olatunji Gambari from Kwara, and Ambassador Wahab Akande from Osun.
The nominees are expected to be posted to key countries including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the UAE, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya. Others will be assigned to multilateral missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.
According to the Presidency, the nominees will receive their specific diplomatic postings after Senate confirmation.
