The Nigerian Senate has concluded the screening of three ambassadorial nominees forwarded by President Bola Tinubu for confirmation. The nominees are Ayodele Oke (Oyo State), Kayode Are (Ogun State), and Aminu Dalhatu (Jigawa State).
The nominees appeared before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, chaired by Senator Sani Bello (APC, Niger North), where they were thoroughly vetted. The committee’s report is expected to be presented at plenary for consideration and possible confirmation in the coming weeks.
During the session, Senator Bello confirmed that Ayodele Oke had addressed and satisfactorily cleared all previous allegations against him. President Tinubu had formally requested the confirmation of the three nominees in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary last week.
The nominees bring extensive experience in diplomacy and national security:
Ayodele Oke, an alumnus of Emory University, Atlanta, is a former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and previously served as Nigeria’s ambassador to the Secretariat of the Commonwealth of Nations in London.
Aminu Dalhatu served as Nigeria’s ambassador to South Korea under the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
Kayode Are was Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) from 1999 to 2007, served as National Security Adviser in 2010, and held senior positions in the Directorate of Military Intelligence. Are graduated with First Class honours in Psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980.
The confirmations, once finalized, will reinforce Nigeria’s diplomatic corps with individuals bringing both strategic insight and extensive international experience.
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