Opposition parties and the ruling All Progressives Congress clashed on Saturday following President Bola Tinubu’s transmission of a fresh list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate — his first major diplomatic appointments since he recalled all envoys from the country’s 109 foreign missions two years ago.
The nominations, released in two batches and now totalling 35, have drawn sharp criticism from the Peoples Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress and New Nigeria Peoples Party.
The parties accused Tinubu of using strategic diplomatic postings to reward political allies and controversial figures.
They particularly faulted the nomination of former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, describing it as scandalous.
The APC, however, dismissed the allegations as baseless and mischievous.
The President’s move comes amid rising public concern that Nigeria’s foreign missions have operated without substantive envoys since September 2023, when Tinubu ordered the withdrawal of all diplomats to reassess the country’s foreign policy direction.
Although the Federal Government completed vetting and security checks for several nominees as far back as April 2025, the appointment process stalled repeatedly, forcing missions to rely on chargés d’affaires and senior consular officers.
Tinubu attributed the prolonged delay in September to “complex political considerations.”
The PUNCH reported on November 4 that the President had ordered a final cleanup of the list after discovering that some nominees had died or become ineligible.
The Senate subsequently returned the list for adjustments.
He disclosed that the list includes four women among the career nominees and six women among the non-career nominees.
Prominent non-career nominees include Ogbonnaya Kalu (Abia), a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri (Delta), former INEC Chairman, Mahmud Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Adebayo; and former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), both long-time allies of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Others on the list are ex-Katsina Speaker, Tasiu Maigari; former Plateau commissioner, Yakubu Gambo; former senator, Prof. Nora Daduut (Plateau), former Lagos deputy governor, Otunba Femi Pedro; ex-Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode; former Oyo First Lady, Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos commissioner, Lola Akande; former Adamawa senator, Grace Bent; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo); and former ambassador to the Vatican, Paul Adikwu (Benue).
Among the career diplomats are Enebechi Okwuchukwu (Abia), Yakubu Danladi (Taraba), Miamuna Besto (Adamawa), Musa Abubakar (Kebbi), Syndoph Endoni (Bayelsa), Chima David (Ebonyi), Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun), Abimbola Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Odumah (Edo), Hamza Salau (Niger), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ambassador Ahmed Monguno (Borno), Ambassador Muhammad Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Gambari (Kwara), and Ambassador Wahab Akande (Osun).
The envoys are expected to be deployed in key nations such as China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, UAE, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as to multilateral missions including the UN, UNESCO and the African Union.
“All nominees will know their diplomatic assignments after their confirmation by the Senate,” the Presidency stated.
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