Abuja, Nigeria
The former head of Nigeria’s electoral commission, Mahmood Yakubu, has been confirmed as an ambassador by the country’s Senate, leading a list of high-profile political figures and career diplomats appointed to represent the nation abroad. Professor Yakubu, who oversaw two of Nigeria’s general elections as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was among 64 nominees approved on Thursday.
The wide-ranging list of new envoys also includes several prominent and often controversial political figures. Among those cleared were Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, and Reno Omokri, a vocal social media personality and former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan. Other notable names include former Interior Minister Abdulrahman Dambazau and former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Okezie Ikpeazu. In total, 67 ambassadors have now been cleared—comprising 34 career diplomats and 33 non-career political appointees—to fill posts that have remained vacant since President Bola Tinubu recalled all Nigerian envoys in late 2023.
The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs stated that all nominees were screened and found suitable, dismissing social media reports of petitions against certain figures like Fani-Kayode and Omokri.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio congratulated the appointees, urging them to serve as positive representatives of Nigeria in their respective host countries. The move is seen as a long-awaited attempt to reposition Nigeria’s foreign missions and strengthen its diplomatic presence in key global capitals.
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