President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded a new list of non-career ambassadorial nominees to the Senate, featuring Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, the immediate past sole administrator of Rivers State and former Chief of Naval Staff.
Also on the list are Ita Enang, a former senator; Chioma Ohakim, former First Lady of Imo State; and Abdulrahman Dambazau, former Interior Minister and ex–Chief of Army Staff. These names were not part of the earlier batch of nominees transmitted to the Senate.
The nominations were announced during Thursday’s plenary after Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the president’s letter seeking the upper chamber’s speedy consideration and confirmation.
In the communication, President Tinubu urged the Senate to expedite the screening process in order to fill strategic diplomatic positions without delay.
Akpabio subsequently referred the list to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, directing it to conclude the screening and submit its report within one week.
This development comes days after the president also nominated Reno Omokri, a former presidential aide; Femi Fani-Kayode, former aviation minister; and Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate past chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for ambassadorial appointments.