President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has transmitted a fresh list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, expanding his diplomatic roster barely days after forwarding the first batch of three nominees. A statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, noted that more ambassadorial nominations will be released soon.
In two letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu urged lawmakers to speedily confirm 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career nominees. But notably, Imo State has no nominee on the new list.
The omission of Imo State has sparked quiet concern among political watchers, especially as the state last produced an ambassador — Justice Nsofor — appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari. Meanwhile, states such as Abia secured two nominees, and others like Ondo, Plateau, and Lagos also received multiple slots.
The list features four women as career envoys and six women as non-career nominees.
Among the high-profile non-career nominees are Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu of Abia; former presidential aide Reno Omokri (Delta); former INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo; and former Enugu Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Also nominated are Tasiu Musa Maigari, former Speaker of the Katsina House of Assembly; Plateau politician Yakubu N. Gambo; former Deputy Executive Secretary of UBEC; ex-senator Nora Ladi Daduut; former Lagos Deputy Governor, Otunba Femi Pedro; former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode; and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra.
The list similarly includes notable figures such as former Oyo First Lady, Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande; ex-Adamawa Senator, Grace Bent; former Abia Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; businessman and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo); and former envoy to the Holy See, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu.
On the career ambassadors’ list 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).
Others include Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), former envoy Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara), and Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).
The nominees, once confirmed, will be deployed to strategic missions such as China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the UAE, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya. Some will also serve at multilateral posts including the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.
The new batch follows last week’s transmission of Ambassador Ayodele Oke, Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu, and retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are, who are being considered for postings to the UK, the USA, or France after confirmation.
