Senate Confirms Tinubu’s Ambassadors List 

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Senate on Thursday confirmed 64 ambassadorial nominees submitted by President Bola Tinubu, including former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode and former presidential aide Reno Omokri.

The confirmation followed the consideration and adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, which said all the nominees were screened and found suitable for appointment.

The approval came 48 hours after the Senate confirmed three non-career ambassadorial nominees, Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun State), Aminu Dalhatu (Jigawa State), and Emmanuel Ayodele Oke (Oyo State),  bringing the total number of confirmed ambassadors to 67.

Among those confirmed on Thursday were former Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Dambazau; former presidential aide Ita Enang; former senator Grace Bent; former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu; former Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and former Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu.

In all, the confirmed nominees comprise 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners, and 30 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners.

Presenting the committee’s report, its chairman, Senator Sani Bello (APC, Niger North), said none of the nominees had petitions against them and that all were found worthy based on their qualifications, experience, and conduct.

In his remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio congratulated the appointees and urged them to project Nigeria positively in their respective postings.

The confirmation followed the Senate’s dismissal of claims circulating on social media that petitions had been submitted against some nominees, including Fani-Kayode and Omokri.

Senate spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, said no petition or formal complaint was received by the upper chamber, stressing that the screening process involved detailed engagement with the nominees.

“I am telling you that we didn’t receive petitions from anybody, organisation, or legal entity. There was no petition against any nominee,” he said.

President Tinubu had transmitted an expanded list of 65 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate on December 4 to fill long-vacant diplomatic positions and reposition Nigeria’s foreign missions.

The move followed months of delay after all Nigerian envoys were recalled in 2023, a development that sparked debate over the country’s diplomatic presence abroad.

With the confirmations concluded, the ambassadors are expected to be deployed to key global capitals and international organisations in line with Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives.

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