President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent a fresh list of non-career ambassadorial nominees to the Senate, featuring several high-profile political figures and former service chiefs who were not included in the earlier batch released by the presidency.
The new nominees include Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, immediate past Sole Administrator of Rivers State and former Chief of Naval Staff; Ita Enang, former senator and presidential aide; Chioma Ohakim, former First Lady of Imo State; and Abdulrahman Dambazau, former Minister of Interior and ex-Chief of Army Staff.
In the communication to the Senate, President Tinubu urged the Senate to give the nominees swift consideration to fill what he described as critical diplomatic postings awaiting occupancy.
Senate President Senator Akpabio who quickly referred the nominations to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, directing the panel to conclude screening and submit its report to the chamber within one week.
This development comes barely days after President Tinubu nominated Reno Omokri, former presidential aide; Femi Fani-Kayode, ex-Minister of Aviation; and Mahmood Yakubu, immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as non-career ambassadors.