Femi Fani-Kayode, Reno Omokri, others arrive Senate for ambassadorial screening

Nominees set for confirmation hearing amid federal character controversy

The ambassadorial nominees put forward by President Bola Tinubu have arrived at the Senate to face screening and confirmation hearings scheduled for Thursday.

Among the prominent nominees spotted at the National Assembly complex ahead of the screening exercise were:

• Femi Fani-Kayode: Former Minister of Aviation

• Reno Omokri: Former presidential spokesperson

• Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi: Former Governor of Enugu State

• Abdulrahman Dambazau: Former Minister of Interior

The screening comes against a backdrop of controversy regarding the composition of the list. Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, had publicly called on President Tinubu to withdraw the list of nominees, insisting that its makeup violates the Federal Character principle as mandated by the Nigerian Constitution. Ndume argued that the list showed some states were underrepresented or completely excluded, while others had multiple nominees. The Senate, however, has proceeded with the screening despite this public objection.

The confirmation hearing process requires the nominees to appear before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to defend their suitability for the roles of Nigerian Ambassadors abroad.