Tinubu appoints Reno Omokri, Fani-Kayode, others as ambassadors
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the names of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
The list, released on Saturday by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, includes former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode and former presidential aide Reno Omokri.
The new batch arrives just days after the President transmitted the first set of three nominees to the Senate.
In two separate letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu requested the expedited confirmation of 15 career ambassadors and 17 non-career ambassadors.
According to the presidency, four women are included in the career ambassadorial list, while six women appear on the non-career list.
There are four women on the career ambassadors’ list and six women on the non-career ambassadors’ list.
“Among the non-career ambassador designates are Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia, a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri (Delta), former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmud Yakubu, former Ekiti first lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo, and former Enugu governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
“Others are Tasiu Musa Maigari, the former speaker of the Katsina House of Assembly, Yakubu N. Gambo, a former Commissioner in Plateau State and former deputy executive secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
“Professor Nora Ladi Daduut, a former senator from Plateau; Otunba Femi Pedro, a former deputy governor of Lagos State; Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, a former aviation minister from Osun State; and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State are on the nomination list,” Onanuga announced.
Prominent non-career nominees include former presidential aide Reno Omokri (Delta), former INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo, former Enugu State governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, former senator Nora Ladi Daduut (Plateau), former Lagos deputy governor Femi Pedro, former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode (Osun), and Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu (Anambra).
“Also on the list are former First Lady of Oyo, Fatima Florence Ajimobi, former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande, former Adamawa Senator, Grace Bent, former governor of Abia, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, businessman, lawyer and Senator from Ondo State, and the former ambassador of Nigeria to the Holy See, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu from Benue State.
“Among the nominees for career ambassador and high commissioner-designates 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).
“The other nominees are Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah(Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kawara) and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun),” the statement added.
Last week, Tinubu also submitted three ambassadorial nominees for confirmation: Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun). They are expected to be posted to the United Kingdom, the United States, or France if confirmed.
President Tinubu noted that additional nominees for ambassadorial positions will be announced in due course.
