President Tinubu’s 65 ambassadorial nominees will undergo Senate scrutiny next week to ensure qualified representation abroad
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 65 ambassadorial nominees are set to undergo rigorous Senate screening next week as part of their confirmation process.
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The nominees include 34 career diplomats and 31 non-career appointees, reflecting one of the administration’s largest diplomatic submissions to date.
The request for confirmation, presented to the Senate by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Thursday, comes less than 24 hours after the upper chamber began vetting an initial trio of nominees.
The new submission contains prominent career ambassadors such as Sulu-Gambari Olatunji Ahmed (Kwara), Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), and Maimuna Ibrahim (Adamawa), alongside notable non-career appointees including retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Cross River), former senator Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom), and retired Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (Kano).
Three opposition senators, speaking on condition of anonymity, signalled that the screening would not be “business as usual,” indicating plans to rigorously question nominees to ensure they are “fit for purpose” and possess the knowledge and integrity required to represent Nigeria internationally.
“The current situation requires seasoned and knowledgeable men and women who can represent and defend Nigeria’s interests before the international community. Ambassadorial positions are not about political patronage,” one ranking lawmaker said.
The Senate Foreign Affairs Committee has been tasked with concluding the screenings within a week and submitting a report for plenary consideration.
Earlier in the week, the committee began vetting Kayode Are (Ogun), Aminu Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Ayodele Oke (Oyo), with Oke addressing previous allegations against him.
The staggered submission of nominees appears part of a strategic approach by the Tinubu administration to fill key diplomatic posts ahead of a broader shake-up in Nigeria’s foreign missions.
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The list of career and non-career ambassadors includes representatives from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, covering high commissions and embassies critical to Nigeria’s foreign policy and international engagement.
