President Bola Tinubu has now forwarded three names for ambassadorial appointments to the Senate, marking the first set of diplomatic nominations since he assumed office in 2023.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio disclosed the development during plenary on Wednesday, reading out the president’s letter.
The nominees are Major General Kayode Are (Rtd.) from Ogun State, Aminu Dalhatu from Jigawa State, and Ambassador Ayodele Oke from Oyo State. “The list contains three names for now, I am sure others will follow,” Akpabio said.
Who Are the Nominees?
Kayode Are: A retired Major General, Are served as Director‑General of the State Security Service (SSS) between 1999 and 2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo. He later became Deputy National Security Adviser. Known for his intelligence background, Are was central to Nigeria’s counter‑terrorism and internal security operations during his tenure.
Ayodele Oke: A career diplomat, Oke was Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Commonwealth Secretariat in London before being appointed Director‑General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) in 2013 by President Goodluck Jonathan. He was dismissed in 2017 after the EFCC discovered $43 million in cash at an Ikoyi apartment linked to him and his wife, a scandal that drew national attention.
Aminu Dalhatu: A seasoned diplomat from Jigawa State, Dalhatu has served in Nigeria’s foreign missions abroad and is regarded as a career officer with experience in consular and bilateral relations.
Filling Diplomatic Gaps
The nominations come after months of criticism that Nigeria’s embassies were operating without substantive ambassadors.
In September, Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar reassured Nigerians that missions were functioning effectively under chargé d’affaires and career officers. “Diplomacy is not a one‑man show. The system is designed to cope with such situations,” he said.
Tuggar emphasized that ambassadorial appointments are strictly the president’s prerogative, adding that Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives — including trade, investment, and cultural exchanges — were still being pursued despite the vacancies.
With the Senate expected to begin screening, attention will focus on how the nominees’ backgrounds shape Nigeria’s diplomatic posture.
Are brings intelligence expertise, Dalhatu offers career diplomatic experience, while Oke’s nomination could generate heated debate given his past controversies.
The Senate has not given date for their screening in plenary.
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