Tinubu Forwards Three Ambassadorial Names to Senate For Confirmation

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent the names of three people to the Senate for approval as non-career ambassadors. The submission was announced during a plenary session by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who informed lawmakers that the request came directly from the President.

The nominees forwarded to the Senate are Kayode Are from Ogun State, Aminu Dalhatu from Jigawa State, and Ayodele Oke. The Senate President directed the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to review the names and return its findings within one week.

These nominations come after a long delay in ambassadorial appointments. Since 2023, no ambassadors had been officially appointed. In September 2023, the Federal Government recalled Nigeria’s ambassadors from 109 foreign missions, including embassies, high commissions, and consulates, as part of a diplomatic review.

Since that time, most Nigerian missions abroad have been managed by senior officials who do not have full ambassadorial powers. The absence of confirmed ambassadors attracted criticism from both local and international observers.

Reports also stated that the President had earlier received a longer list of possible nominees and that security and background checks had already been completed before the current list was sent to the Senate.

The delay in appointments had been linked to diplomatic challenges Nigeria faced, including tensions with foreign governments. The move to send the first batch of nominees is seen as a step towards restoring proper diplomatic representation for the country.

More names are expected to be sent to the Senate for confirmation in the coming weeks as the process continues.