The Senate on Thursday confirmed 64 nominees forwarded by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointment as ambassadors, including former minister Femi Fani-Kayode, former presidential aide Reno Omokri, and former First Lady of Oyo State, Florence Ajimobi.
The confirmation followed the presentation and adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs during plenary. Of the confirmed nominees, 34 are career ambassadors while 30 are non-career ambassadors.
Presenting the report, the committee chairman, Senator Sani Bello, said the nominees demonstrated adequate knowledge of international relations, diplomacy, and Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives during their screening exercise.
Among those confirmed as career ambassadors are Nwaobiala Chukwuemeka (Abia), Betso Ibrahim (Adamawa), Monica Enebechi (Anambra), Mohammed Lele (Bauchi), Syndoph Endoni (Bayelsa), Ahmed Monguno (Borno), Adams Bassey (Cross River), Clark Efe (Delta), Goeffrey David (Ebonyi), Odumah Ehinosen (Edo), Wasa Ige (Edo), and Adeyemi Emmanuel (Ekiti).
Others include Okechukwu Onaga (Enugu), Magaji Umar (Jigawa), Muhammad Dahiru (Kaduna), Abdussalam Zayyad (Kano), Shehu Ilu Barde and Aminu Nasir (Katsina), Abubakar Musa and Haidara Idris (Kebbi), Bako Umar (Kogi), Sulu Ahmed (Kwara), Ramat Omobolanle (Lagos), Shaga Shamah (Nasarawa), Sallau Mohammed and Ibrahim Danlami (Niger), Adeola Mopelola (Ogun), Reuben Samuel (Ondo), Akande Adekola (Osun), Arewa Esther (Oyo), Gargadi John (Plateau), Luther Kalata (Rivers), Danladi Nyaku (Taraba), and Bello Haliru (Sokoto).
The non-career ambassadors confirmed include Grace Bent (Adamawa), Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Nkechi Ufochukwu (Anambra), Mahmud Yakubu (Bauchi), Philip Ikurusi (Bayelsa), Paul Adikwu (Benue), Ibok Ette Ibas (Cross River), Reno Omokri (Delta), Abasi Braimah (Edo), Erelu Adebayo and Olumilua Ayotunwa (Ekiti), Ugwuanyi Ifeanyi (Enugu), Chioma Ohaikim (Imo), Abdulrahman Dambazau (Kano), Tasiu Maigari (Katsina), Abubakar Aliyu (Kogi), Olufemi Pedro (Lagos), Muhammed Aliyu (Nasarawa), Jimoh Ibrahim and Joseph Iji (Ondo), Femi Fani-Kayode and Isaac Adewole (Osun), Florence Ajimobi and Sulola Akande (Oyo), Yakubu Gambo and Nora Daduut (Plateau), Onueze Okocha (Rivers), Kulu Abubakar (Sokoto), and Jerrymon Manwe (Taraba).
During the session, Senator Sahabi Yau (Zamfara North) raised a constitutional point of order, citing Sections 14(3) and 15(4) of the 1999 Constitution on federal character and national unity. He noted that Zamfara State was not represented on the list and described it as an oversight.
Responding, Senate President Godswill Akpabio upheld the concern but explained that the list was not exhaustive, noting that Nigeria has several diplomatic missions, including resident and non-resident postings. He assured that additional nominations would be forwarded and that no state would be excluded.
Akpabio reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to the federal character principle and urged the newly confirmed ambassadors to serve Nigeria diligently and project the country positively on the global stage.
President Tinubu’s request for the confirmation of the nominees was formally read on the Senate floor on December 4.
