President Bola Tinubu has forwarded to the Senate a request for the confirmation of 65 ambassadorial nominees, comprising 34 career ambassadors and 31 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners.

The letter conveying the request was read on the floor of the Senate today by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.

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

Others are Senator Ita Enang, a former Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Chioma Ohakim; Bello Danbazau; Vice Admiral Ibok Ete (retd.) and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, among others.

Both lists have been referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, which is expected to conduct the screening process and report back to the upper chamber within one week.

The new list of 65 nominees raises the total number of ambassadorial candidates before the Senate to 68.

Three of them — Kayode Are, Aminu Dalhatu, and Ayodele Oke — have already been screened by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs (CHANNELS)