President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the immediate posting of four ambassador-designates to key global missions, marking the first phase of deployments from the 68 nominees recently confirmed by the Senate.
Leading the assignments is Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are, a former Director-General of the State Security Service, who has been posted to the United States.
He is joined by Ambassador Ayodele Oke, assigned to France, and Ambassador Amin Dalhatu, who will serve as the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
Rounding out the group is former Kebbi State Governor Usman Isa Dakingari Suleiman, who has been posted to Turkey ahead of the President’s scheduled state visit to the country next week.
The approval was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
“The President has approved the posting of four ambassador-designates out of the 68 confirmed by the Senate last December,” Onanuga said.
“The posting of Ambassador Ayodele Oke to France and Colonel Lateef Are to the United States has been confirmed by the President.
“Ambassador Amin Dalhatu, former Nigerian ambassador to South Korea, has been posted as the high commissioner-designate to the United Kingdom.
“Usman Isa Dakingari Suleiman, former governor of Kebbi State, is the ambassador-designate to Turkey.
“The posting of Suleiman to Turkey comes as the President is scheduled to begin a state visit to the country next week,” Onanuga added.
The presidential spokesman said the approvals were formally communicated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“In a memo to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the President urged the ministry to notify the governments of the four countries about the ambassador-designates, in line with established diplomatic procedures.”
He explained that the postings were drawn from the list of ambassadorial nominees earlier screened by the National Assembly.
“These postings are part of the ambassadorial nominees confirmed by the Senate in December,” Onanuga stated.
This development comes after the Senate confirmed 64 ambassadorial nominees forwarded by Tinubu.
According to the report, the confirmation followed the adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Among those cleared were former Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau; former presidential aide, Ita Enang; and former Special Adviser on New Media to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri.
Others include former INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu; former Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and former Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu.
In all, the Senate confirmed 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners and 30 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners.
