Tinubu Names Ex-INEC Boss Mahmud Yakubu, Reno Omokri, Fani-Kayode As Ambassadors

President Bola Tinubu has nominated 32 additional ambassadorial nominees for Senate confirmation, and the list reads like a who-is-who of Nigerian political figures. The immediate past Chairman of INEC, Mahmud Yakubu, former presidential aide Reno Omokri, former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode, and former Enugu governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi are all on it. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga announced the names this week, saying they will be posted to countries including China, India, South Korea, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates.

What strikes me is the inclusion of Mahmud Yakubu, who just left INEC after overseeing the 2023 general elections that many Nigerians still argue about. And Reno Omokri, who spent years as a vocal defender of the previous administration, now getting a diplomatic post. Also on the list are former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo, former Oyo First Lady Fatima Florence Ajimobi, former Abia governor Victor Okezie Ikpeazu, and Ondo senator Jimoh Ibrahim. The career diplomats nominated include names like Ambassador Shehu Barde, Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno, and Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru.

This is a very political list, no doubt about it. Tinubu had earlier named Ayodele Oke for the United States, Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are for the United Kingdom, and Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu for France. I am left wondering — is this how we reward loyalty and political service in Nigeria, or is there a genuine diplomatic strategy behind these appointments? What do you make of Mahmud Yakubu being sent abroad so soon after INEC?