(UPDATED): Senate rejects Buhari’s 46 ambassadorial nominees

Nigeria Senate.

The Senate has rejected the 46 non-career ambassadorial nominees sent to it by President Muhammadu Buhari for legislative approval.

The lawmakers said the list will be sent back to President Muhammadu Buhari “for resubmission and re-jigging.”

Some notable nominees are retired Justices of the Supreme Court, Justice George Oguntade; former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Mrs. Paulen Tallen; former member of the House of Representatives, Usman Bugaje; and former Deputy Governor of Niger State, Ahmed Ibeto.

The nominees are Dr. Uzoma Ememke (Abia State), Dr. Clifford Zirra (Adamawa), Maj.-Gen. Godwin Umo (retd.) (Akwa Ibom), Christopher  Okeke (Anambra), Yusuf Tugar (Bauchi), Baba Madugu (Bauchi), Brig.-Gen. Stanley Diriyai (Bayelsa), Dr. Enyantu Ifenne (Benue), Mohammed Hayatuddeen (Borno) and Dr. Etubom Asuquo (Cross River).

Also on the list are Francis Efeduma (Delta), Jonah Odo (Ebonyi), Uyagwe Igbe (Edo), Ayodele Ayodeji (Ekiti), Maj.-Gen. Chris Eze (retd.)(Enugu), Suleiman Hassan (Gombe), Amin Muhammad Dalhatu (Jigawa), Muhammad Yaro (Kaduna), Deborah  Iliya (Kaduna), Prof. D. Abdulkadir (Kano), Haruna Ungogo (Kano), Justice lsa Dodo (Katsina), Dr. Usman Bugaje (Katsina), Prof. Tijjani Bande (Kebbi), Prof Y. O. Aliu (Kogi) and Nuruddeen Mohamed (Kwara).

Others are Prof. Mohamed Yisa (Kwara), Justice George Adesola Oguntade (retd.)(Lagos), Senator Olorunimbe Mamora (Lagos), Modupe Irele (Lagos), Musa Ilu Muhammad (Nasarawa), Mohammad Ibeto (Niger), Ade Asekun (Ogun), Sola Iji (Ondo), Adegboyega Ogunwusi (Osun), Maj.-Gen. Ashimiyu Olaniyi (retd.) (Oyo), Pauline Tallen (Plateau) and Dr. Haruna Bawa Abdullahi (Plateau).

Orji Ngofa (Rivers), Justice Sylvanus Adiewere Nsofor (Rivers), Jamila Ahmadu-Suka (Sokoto), Kabiru Umar (Sokoto), Mustapha Jaji (Taraba), Goni Modu Zanna Bura (Yobe), Garba Gajam (Zamfara) and Cpt. Abdullahi Uba Garbasi (Zamfara) were also nominated.

State governors had protested against their non-involvement in the selection of the non-career ambassadorial nominees by Buhari.

Tallen and Bugaje had rejected their nominations, citing failure to duly consult them.

Imo State and the Federal Capital Territory, which had representatives among the 47 career ambassadorial nominees, did not get any nominees in the non-career batch.