SENATE CLEARS OMOKRI, FANI-KAYODE, IBAS, OTHERS AS TINUBU’S 64 ENVOYS SAIL THROUGH CONFIRMATION — STORM TRAILS LIST

The Senate on Thursday confirmed 64 career and non-career ambassadorial nominees, including Reno Omokri, Femi Fani-Kayode, Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas and several other high-profile political figures, clearing the path for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fill long-vacant diplomatic postings across the globe.

The confirmation followed the adoption of a report presented by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, chaired by Senator Sani Bello, after the nominees were screened and found suitable for appointment.

President Tinubu had, on December 4, formally requested Senate approval for 65 ambassadorial nominees, comprising 34 career diplomats and 31 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners, as part of efforts to reposition Nigeria’s foreign missions and revive diplomatic engagement.

Earlier, the Presidency had transmitted a fresh list of non-career nominees, expanding the scope of the appointments and introducing politically prominent figures and former service chiefs omitted from the initial batch.

Among the newly confirmed nominees are Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd), 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.

Their names appeared in a letter read during plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, in which President Tinubu appealed for expedited legislative action, citing the urgency of filling “critical diplomatic positions” currently vacant.

Akpabio subsequently referred the nominations to the Foreign Affairs Committee, mandating it to complete the screening and submit its report within one week—a directive that culminated in Thursday’s confirmation.

The process, however, was not without controversy.

The inclusion of Reno Omokri, former presidential aide; Femi Fani-Kayode, ex-Minister of Aviation; and Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as non-career ambassadors ignited nationwide debate and sharp political reactions.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) led the criticism, describing the nominations—particularly that of Prof. Yakubu—as insensitive and injurious to Nigeria’s democratic credibility.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party accused the Tinubu administration of prioritising political patronage over national interest.

> “After waiting for more than two years, and with Nigeria’s diplomacy and global image in historic tatters, President Bola Tinubu has presented an outrageously underwhelming ambassadorial list—one that appears designed to settle political IOUs rather than address Nigeria’s urgent foreign policy crises,” the ADC said.

The party further alleged that the list was populated by “political jobbers, corruption suspects, and relatives of political associates,” warning that such appointments risk undermining professionalism and credibility at a time Nigeria desperately needs to rebuild trust and influence on the global stage.

Despite the criticism, the Senate’s confirmation effectively seals the appointments, setting the stage for the nominees to assume their roles as Nigeria’s diplomatic representatives abroad.