Former Governors Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), alongside former senator Shehu Sani and ex-presidential aide Reno Omokri, have been nominated for ambassadorial appointments by the federal government, 9News Nigeria has learnt.
The nominees are currently undergoing security screening by the Department of State Services (DSS), as part of the standard vetting process before an official announcement is made.
The development comes nearly a year after Nigeria recalled its ambassadors from missions across the world without immediate replacements.
Sources within the Presidency, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the résumés of the nominated individuals had already been dispatched to security agencies for background checks.
One of the nominees, speaking off the record, confirmed their nomination but declined further comments. Efforts to get confirmation from other nominees were unsuccessful.
When asked why the official list had yet to be made public, a senior official in the Presidency told Vanguard: “They are already doing security checks with the DSS. When they have cleared security checks, we will release the list.
“Only those who have been cleared are announced. The process is ongoing. I know we should have a list before the end of this month.”
Observers say the ambassadorial postings may also signal a move by the Tinubu administration to consolidate relationships with influential political figures ahead of future elections, while also addressing the vacuum in Nigeria’s diplomatic representation abroad.
