By Editorial Staff 
Mrs. Fatima Florence Ajimobi, wife of the former governor of Oyo State, the late Abiola Ajimobi, and Otunba Femi Pedro, a former deputy governor in Lagos State, are among the 32 ambassadorial nominees President Bola Tinubu sent to the National Assembly for confirmation.
Pedro was the deputy governor of Lagos in the first-term administration of Bola Tinubu as the governor of Lagos State between 2003 and 2007.
The president also nominated former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmud Yakubu, and an aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, who was once a die-hard critic of the APC-led government.
A former governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, also made the list, days after he sent the first batch of three names.
According to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy:
“In two separate letters to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu asked the Senate to consider and confirm expeditiously 15 nominees as career ambassadors and 17 nominees as non-career ambassadors.”
Bayo stated that “There are four women on the career ambassadors’ list and six women on the non-career ambassadors’ list.”
See the full list below:
Non-career ambassador designates
- Ogbonnaya Kalu (Abia),
- Reno Omokri (Delta) and a former presidential aide
- Prof Mahmud Yakubu, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
- Erelu Adebayo (Ekiti), a former Ekiti first lady
- Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, former Enugu governor
- Tasiu Musa Maigari, the former speaker of the Katsina House of Assembly,
- Yakubu N. Gambo, former Deputy Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission
- Professor Nora Ladi Daduut, a former senator from Plateau;
- Otunba Femi Pedro, a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State;
- Femi Fani-Kayode (Osun State)a former aviation minister from Osun State;
- Nkechi Ufochukwu from Anambra State
- Fatima Florence Ajimobi, former First Lady of Oyo
- Lola Akande, former Lagos Commissioner
- Grace Bent, former Adamawa Senator
- Victor Okezie Ikpeazu, former governor of Abia
- Jimoh Ibrahim, businessman, lawyer and Senator from Ondo State,
- Paul Oga Adikwu from Benue State, former ambassador of Nigeria to the Holy See
Nominees for career ambassador and high commissioner-designates:
- 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)
- Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun)
- Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo),
- Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah(Edo),
- Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger),
- Shehu Barde (Katsina),
- Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno),
- Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna),
- Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kawara)
- Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun)
According to the statement, “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.
Recall that last week, President Tinubu sent three ambassadorial nominees – Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun) – for screening and confirmation for possible positing to the UK, USA, or France after their confirmation by the Senate.
“More nominees for ambassadorial positions will be announced soon,” Onanuga said.