Amb. Ahmed Sulu-GambariSenate, on Thursday, confirmed all the 65 President Bola Tinubu’s nominees as career and non-career ambassadors, including the immediate past chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu; erstwhile Sole Administrator in Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd); former presidential aide, Reno Omokri; a serving senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Jimoh Ibrahim, and Ahmed Sulu-Gambari.
Also approved was theo former Senators Grace Bent from Adamawa and Nora Daduut, who represented Plateau South in the 9th Senate.
Others endorsed as non-career ambassadors are former Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; his Abia State counterpart, Okezie Ikpeazu; former Lagos State deputy governor, Femi Pedro; former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode; former Senior Special Assistant National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang; former Minister of Interior, General AbdulRahman Danbazau; former Imo State First Lady, Chioma Ohakim; her counterparts in Ekiti State, Erelu Angela Adebayo, and Oyo State, Florence Ajimobi, respectively.
Those approved as career ambassadors include Nwaobiala Chukwuemeka, Ramat Omobolanle, Shaga Shamah, Ruben Samuel, Sallahu Mohammed, Ibrahim Danlami, Adeola-Ibrahim Mopelola, Akande Adekola, Arewa Esther, and Danladi Nyaku.
Confirmation of their appointments was sequel to the presentation and consideration of a report by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, chaired by Senator Sani Bello (APC, Niger North) during plenary.
Presenting the report, Senator Bello said all the nominees were found worthy of their appointments without any petition against them.
In his remarks after the confirmation, the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, congratulated all the ambassadorial designates and urged them represent Nigeria well as good ambassadors of the country in their respective countries of assignments.
However, during the session, Senator Sahabi Yau (APC, Zamfara North) raised an objection, drawing attention to the absence of any nominee from Zamfara State on the list, urging the Senate to notify President Tinubu of the omission.
Responding, the Senate President Godswill Akpabio acknowledged the concern, explaining that the current list was not exhaustive.
He assured lawmakers that he would raise the matter with the President. He further affirms that additional ambassadorial nominations are expected and that Zamfara State would not be excluded.
Tinubu had on November 29 forwarded three nominees — Kayode Are from Ogun State, Aminu Dalhatu from Jigawa State, and Ayodele Oke from Oyo State as non-career ambassadors, and all of them had already been screened and confirmed by the Senate.
The President, on December 4 transmitted another list containing 65 nominees, comprising 34 career ambassadors and 31 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners to the Senate for its approval.
The list of 65 nominees raised the total number of ambassadorial candidates before the Senate to 68, who were all screened by the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
