President Bola Tinubu has forwarded another list of non-career ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for approval.
The nominees, announced during Thursday’s plenary, include former Rivers State Sole Administrator and ex–Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas; former presidential aide, Ita Enang; former Imo First Lady, Chioma Ohakim; and former Interior Minister and ex–Army Chief, Abdulrahman Dambazau.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read Tinubu’s letter, in which the President sought quick confirmation to enable the government fill vacant diplomatic positions. He subsequently referred the list to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, directing it to complete screening within one week.
This comes less than a week after Tinubu submitted 32 ambassadorial nominees—expanding an earlier list of three—consisting of 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career appointees. That list, released by Presidential Adviser Bayo Onanuga, features former INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, former presidential aide Reno Omokri, former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo, ex-Enugu Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, former Lagos Deputy Governor Femi Pedro, ex-Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode and former Oyo First Lady Florence Ajimobi.
The Presidency urged the Senate to speed up confirmation, noting that envoys will be deployed to major diplomatic partners such as China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the UAE, Qatar, South Africa and Kenya. Others will be assigned to Nigeria’s missions at the UN, UNESCO and the African Union. Posting details will only be released after confirmation.
The broader list includes ten women—four career and six non-career—and cuts across former governors, ministers, commissioners and senators.
Other non-career nominees include Ogbonnaya Kalu, Tasiu Musa Maigari, Yakubu N. Gambo, Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut, Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu, Lola Akande, Grace Bent, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim and Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu.
The career nominees 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), Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun), Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara) and Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).
Ambassadors act as the President’s representatives abroad, managing Nigeria’s diplomatic interests. Career diplomats rise through the Foreign Service, while non-career appointees are selected for political or strategic reasons.
Tinubu had earlier signaled that more nominations would be submitted.
