President Muhammadu Buhari has forwarded a revised list of 46 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation as ambassadors.

Consequently, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and Imo State have now been accommodated on the list as the nominee for Imo was previously mistaken for Rivers’.

While Kaduna and Katsina states have been allotted more slots than the number of nominees they had on the previous list rejected by the Senate, Lagos and Jigawa states had their number of nominees reduced by one each.

Six nominees from Adamawa, Benue, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun and Ogun states were replaced with fresh nominees, apparently due to conflict of interests in the respective states or the federal character factor as the case may be.

LEADERSHIP Friday recalls that Senate President Bukola Saraki had on Thursday, October 20, 2016 read the president’s letter containing the names of 46 non-career ambassadorial nominees at plenary.

But on Tuesday, November 15, 2016, Senators threw out the list after the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs revealed over 250 petitions had been submitted against some of the nominees.

Also, a couple of the nominees, Mrs Pauline Tallen from Plateau State and Hon. Usman Bugaje from Katsina State, had earlier publicly declined  their nominations, citing non-consultation and other reasons, even as some state governors also lodged complaints against the list.

LEADERSHIP Friday reports that the revised list of the nominees is being re-submitted to the Senate barely two months after it was rejected.

According to a fresh letter dated Wednesday, January 11, 2017, which was read on the floor of the Senate yesterday, Buhari said: “I wish to refer to your letter of November 16, 2016, on the nomination of non-career ambassadors and to resubmit, hereunder, the revised list of 46 non-career nominees for confirmation as ambassadors-designate by the Distinguished Senate.”

Those excluded are the former deputy director-general of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora (Lagos); and a brother to the Ooni of Ife, Prince Adegboyega Ogunwusi (Osun), who has been replaced with Mr. Afolahan Adeyemi A., among others.

On the new list are a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, George Oguntade (Lagos), Yusuf Tuggar (Bauchi), James G. Dimka (Plateau) – who replaced Mrs Tallen, and the immediate past deputy governor of Niger State, Ahmed Ibeto, whose nomination as a minister was withdrawn by Buhari in 2015.

The list also contains a former director-general of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos,  Prof. Tijjani Bande (Kebbi) and Dr (Mrs) Uzoma E. Emenike (Abia), while Dr Clifford Zirra (Adamawa) has been dropped for Aminu Iyawa.

Also on the list are retired Maj. Gen. Godwin Umo (Akwa Ibom), Christopher J.N. Okeke (Anambra), Baba Madugu (Bauchi), and Brig. Gen. Stanley Diriyai (Bayelsa).

Dr. Enyantu Ifeme (Benue) did not make it back on the list as he was replaced with Prof. Steven Ugba; Baba Ahmed Jidda (Borno) replaces Mohammed Hayatudeen while Ayodele. L. Ayodeji (Ekiti) was replaced with Dr. Eniola Ajayi.

Also listed are Dr. Etuborn N.E. Asuquo (Cross River), Engr. Francis Efeduma (Delta), Mr Jonah Odo (Ebonyi), Uyagwe Igbe (Edo), Maj. Gen. Chris Eze (Enugu),  Alhaji Suleiman Hassan (Gombe), Justice Sylvanus Adiewere Nsofor (Imo), Amin Muhammad Dalhatu (Jigawa), Mohammed Yaro (Jigawa), Deborah lliya (Kaduna) and an additional nominee for Kaduna, Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, Prof. D. Abdulkadir (Kano), Alhaji Haruna Ungogo (Kano), Justice Isa Dodo (Katsina) and an additional nominee – Mohammadu Rimi Barade.

Barrister Sola Iji (Ondo) has been replaced with Jacob Igbekele Daodu; Mr. Ade Asekun (Ogun) was also dropped for Suzanne Aderonke Folarin; Musa Ilu Muhammad (Nasarawa); Mrs. Modupe Irele (Lagos); Prof. Mohammed G. Yisa (Kwara); Nuruddeen Mohammed (Kwara); and Prof. Y. O. Aliu (Kogi) made this list.

Others are retired Maj. Gen. Ashimiyu Olaniyi (Oyo), Dr Haruna Bawa Abdullahi (Plateau), Orji Ngofa (Rivers), Sahabi Isa Gada (Sokoto) replaces Jamila Ahmadu-Suka, Hon. Kabir Umar (Sokoto), Alhaji Mustapha Jaji (Taraba) has also been dropped for Alhaji Hassan Jika Ardo, Goni Modu Zanna Bura (Yobe), Alhaji Garba Gajam (Zamfara); Cpt. Bala Mohammed Mairiga (Zamfara) replaces Cpt. Abdullahi Uba Garbasi while Habiss Ibrahim Ugbada is nominated from FCT.

LEADERSHIP Friday also reports that the Senate had earlier confirmed the first batch of 47 career ambassadors on Tuesday, November 15, 2015, sequel to the adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs.