Author: Gist Correspondent

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the posting of four ambassadors-designate from the pool of nominees earlier confirmed by the Senate.

The approval was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by the Presidential Spokesperson, Mr. Bayo Onanuga.

According to the statement, Ambassador Emmanuel Ayodele Oke has been posted as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to France, while Colonel Lateef Kayode Are was assigned as ambassador-designate to the United States of America.

President Tinubu also approved the posting of Ambassador Aminu Dalhatu, former Nigerian envoy to South Korea, as the high commissioner-designate to the United Kingdom. In addition, Usman Isa Dakingari Suleiman, a former governor of Kebbi State, was named ambassador-designate to Turkey, a country the President is scheduled to visit on a state visit next week.

Onanuga said the President has directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to formally notify the governments of the host countries in line with established diplomatic procedures.

Recall that on December 18, 2025, the Senate confirmed 64 career and non-career ambassadorial nominees submitted by President Tinubu, following the consideration of a report by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Earlier, on December 4, 2025, President Tinubu had forwarded a list of 65 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate, comprising 34 career ambassadors and 31 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners.

Prior to the latest confirmations, the Senate had approved three non-career nominees—Lateef Kayode Are, Aminu Dalhatu, and Emmanuel Ayodele Oke—bringing the total number of confirmed ambassadors to 67.

The list of non-career nominees includes several prominent political figures, among them former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu; former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode; former Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri.