President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, forwarded a list of 46 non-career ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation.
The President, who had earlier forwarded a list of 47 career diplomats to the Senate in a letter read on the floor of the Senate by its President, Dr Bukola Saraki, named a number of eminent Nigerians, including jurists and former lawmakers as would-be ambassadors.
The nominees included a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, George Oguntade (Lagos); a former deputy Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, also from Lagos; Yusuf Tuggar (Bauchi); a former deputy governor of Plateau State, Mrs Paulen Tallen (Plateau); a former member of the House Representatives, Honourable Usman Bugaje (Katsina); and the immediate past deputy governor of Niger State, Ahmed Ibeto (Niger), whose nomination as a minister was withdrawn by Buhari in 2015.
The list also included a former Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, Professor Tijani Bande (Kebbi); Dr (Mrs) Uzoma E. Emenike (Abia); Dr Clifford
Zirra (Adamawa); retired Maj. Gen. Godwin Umo (Akwa Ibom); Christopher J.N. Okeke (Anambra); Brigadier- General Stanley Diriyai (Bayelsa); Dr Enyantu Ifeme (Benue); Dr Etuborn N.E Asuquo (Cross River); Mr Francis Efeduma ( Delta); Mr Jonah Odo (Ebonyi); Uyagwe Igbe (Edo); Ayodele. L. Ayodeji (Ekiti); Major General Chris Eze (Enugu); Alhaji Suleiman Hassan (Gombe).
Amin Muhammad (Jigawa); Mohammed Yaro (Jigawa); Deborah lliya (Kaduna); Professor D. Abdulkadir (Kano); Alhaji Haruna Ungogo (Kano); Justice Isa Dodo (Katsina); Adegboyega Ogunwusi (Osun); Barrister Sola Iji (Ondo); Mr Ade Asekun (Ogun); Musa Ilu Muhammad (Nasarawa); Mrs Modupe Irele (Lagos); Professor Mohammed G. Yisa (Kwara) Nuruddeen Mohammed (Kwara); Prof. Y. O. Aliu (Kogi).
Others also named as ambassadors included Major-General Ashimiyun Olaniyi (Oyo); Dr Haruna Bawa Abdullahi (Plateau); Orji Ngofa (Rivers); Justice Sylvanus Adiewere Nsofor (Rivers); Jamila Ahmadu-Suka (Sokoto); Honourable Kabir Umar (Sokoto); Alhaji Mustapha Jaji (Taraba); Goni Modu Zanna Bura (Yobe); Alhaji Garba Gajam (Zamfara) and Captain Abdullahi Uba Garbasi, also from Zamfara State.