President Bola Tinubu has nominated 32 individuals, including a former Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu; former Minister, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode; and ex-Presidential Aide, Mr. Reno Omokri, as ambassadors.

Others on the list include a former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, and a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Femi Pedro. Senator Jimoh Ibrahim from Ondo, the business magnate; a former First Lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Angela Adebayo; and a former Adamawa Senator, Ms. Grace Bent, were also nominated.

President Tinubu has already forwarded the names to the Senate for confirmation.

“In two separate letters to the Senate President, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu asked the Senate to consider and confirm expeditiously 15 nominees as career ambassadors and 17 nominees as non-career ambassadors,” Presidential Spokesman, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement on Saturday.

A breakdown of the list shows that four women were nominated as career ambassadors and six as non-career ambassadors.

Other non-career ambassadorial nominees include Mr. Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia State; a former Speaker of the Katsina House of Assembly, Mr. Tasiu Musa Maigari; a former Plateau State Commissioner and ex-Deputy Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Mr. Yakubu N. Gambo.

Also on the list are a former Plateau Senator, Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut; Ms. Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State; former Oyo First Lady, Mrs. Fatima Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Mrs. Lola Akande; and a former Nigerian Ambassador to the Holy See, Mr. Paul Oga Adikwu from Benue State.

The President also nominated several career ambassadors and high commissioner-designates. They are Mrs. Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia), Mr. Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba), Ms. Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa), Mr. Musa Musa Abubakar (Kebbi), Mr. Syndoph Paebi Endoni (Bayelsa), Mr. Chima Geoffrey Lioma David (Ebonyi), and Mrs. Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun).

Others are Mr. Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Mrs. Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Mr. Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), and Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno).

Also nominated were Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara), and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).

According to Mr. Onanuga, “The new nominees are expected to be posted to countries with which Nigeria maintains excellent and strategic bilateral relations, such as China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, Kenya, and to Permanent Missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.”

The envoys, however, will know their specific diplomatic postings only after Senate confirmation.

This fresh list comes days after President Tinubu submitted a first batch of three nominees to the Senate: Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun).

“All three are in the pot for posting to the UK, USA, or France after their confirmation,” the Presidency said.