Senate Confirms Three Non-Career Ambassadorial Nominees

The Senate has confirmed the nominations of three non-career ambassadors, the  first set of nominees submitted by President Tinubu two weeks ago and screened by the upper chamber last week.

Those confirmed are Lateef Kayode Kolawole Are from Ogun State, Aminu Muhammad Dalhatu from Jigawa State, and Emmanuel Ayodele Oke, CFR, from Oyo State.

The confirmations followed the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Foreign affairs, which conducted the screening exercise.

Sixty-four other ambassadorial nominees forwarded to the senate and screened are yet to be confirmed.

President Tinubu forwarded the names of the three non-career ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation on November 26.

It was the first list of ambassadorial nominees sent to the Senate by Tinubu since he became the President on May 29, 2023.

READ ALSO: Mahmood Yakubu, Omokri, Grace Bent, Others In Senate For Ambassadorial Screening

The President followed that up by nominating 32 other persons for ambassadorial roles, including a former governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; immediate past chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu; ex-minister, Femi Fani-Kayode and ex-presidential aide, Reno Omokri.

Others in the list include a former governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu; a former deputy governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro.

Ondo Senator and businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim; a former Ekiti first lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo and former Adamawa Senator, Grace Bent also made the list of nominees.

A breakdown of the list shows that there are four women on the career ambassadors’ list and six on the non-career ambassadors’ list.

Others who were nominated as non-career ambassador designates are Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia; a former  speaker of the Katsina House of Assembly, Tasiu Musa Maigari; a former Commissioner in Plateau State and ex-deputy executive secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Yakubu N. Gambo.

A former Senator from Plateau, Nora Ladi Daduut; Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State; ex-First Lady of Oyo, Fatima Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande, and the former ambassador of Nigeria to the Holy See, Paul Oga Adikwu from Benue State were also nominated.

Apart from these, Tinubu also nominated career ambassadors and high commissioner-designates.

They 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).

Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno) are equally on the list of nominees.

Others are Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kawara) and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).