Tinubu Nominates Omokri, Fani-Kayode, Ugwuanyi, Mahmood Yakubu, 28 Others As Ambassadors

Tinubu Sends Ambassadorial Nominees to Senate for Confirmation
Updated November 29, 2025

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded a list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation. The list includes several prominent figures such as former Enugu State governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; immediate past INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu; former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode; and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri.

Also nominated as non-career ambassadors are former Abia State governor Okezie Ikpeazu; former Lagos deputy governor, Femi Pedro; Ondo senator and businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim; former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo; and former Adamawa senator, Grace Bent.

According to a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu transmitted the names in two separate letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, urging the Senate to “consider and confirm expeditiously” the 15 career and 17 non-career ambassadorial nominees.

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

Other non-career nominees include:

• Ogbonnaya Kalu (Abia)

• Tasiu Musa Maigari, former Speaker of the Katsina House of Assembly

• Yakubu N. Gambo, former UBEC deputy executive secretary

• Former Plateau senator Nora Ladi Daduut

• Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu (Anambra)

• Former Oyo First Lady, Fatima Florence Ajimobi

• Former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande

• Former ambassador to the Holy See, Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue)

The career ambassadors and high commissioner–designates include:
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), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara), and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).

Onanuga noted that the nominees will be deployed to countries with which Nigeria maintains significant diplomatic relationships—including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the UAE, Qatar, South Africa, Kenya—and to multilateral missions such as the UN, UNESCO, and the African Union. Their specific postings will be determined after Senate confirmation.

This development follows President Tinubu’s earlier transmission of a first batch of three nominees: Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun). According to the presidency, these three are being considered for postings to the United Kingdom, United States, or France upon confirmation.