…..Denies Receiving Petitions Against Any Nominees
Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Senate has confirmed President Bola Tinubu’s 64 ambassadorial candidates, including Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu; and Reno Omokri, a former presidential assistant.
The approval came after the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs reviewed and adopted a report stating that all nominees had been examined and declared qualified for appointment.
The exercise came 48 hours after the upper chamber confirmed three non-career ambassadorial nominees — Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun State), Aminu Dalhatu (Jigawa State), and Emmanuel Ayodele Oke (Oyo State)—bringing the total number of confirmed ambassadors to 67.
Among those cleared on Thursday were a former Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau; a former Special Adviser on New Media to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri; a former presidential aide, Ita Enang; and a former senator, Grace Bent.
Others include a former Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and a former Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu.
In all, the confirmed nominees comprise 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners, and 30 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners.
Presenting the committee’s report, its chairman, Senator Sani Bello (APC, Niger North), said none of the nominees had petitions against them and that all were found worthy based on their qualifications, experience, and conduct.
In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, congratulated the appointees and urged them to represent Nigeria positively in their respective postings.
The confirmation came days after the Senate dismissed claims circulating on social media that petitions had been submitted against some nominees, including Fani-Kayode and Omokri.