Borno, Kaduna, Sokoto, Adamawa nominees dropped
By Abdulaziz Abdulaziz and Taiye Odewale, Abuja
At last, President Muhammadu Buhari has succumbed to pressure from state governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) stock, dropping some nominees for non-career ambassadorial appointment on account of protests from the governors and other stakeholders.
The Senate yesterday received a new list of non-career ambassadorial nominees from the president with changes reflecting the protests, as exclusively reported by Blueprint on November 1, 2016.
Following the protest by the governors in a meeting held with President Buhari at their behest, the Senate on November 15, 2016 rejected the list of the non-career ambassadors, citing series of petitions against the nominees.
In the new list received by the Senate, about 12 of those on the initial list sent last year were dropped.
Top on the list of those removed from the initial list is Alhaji Mohammed Hayatuddeen from Borno state, believed to be included on the strength of his friendship with the Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari.
Another top shot whose name was struck out is a former Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate and Deputy Director-General, Muhammadu Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora from Lagos state.
It would be recalled that two out of the prominent politicians on the first list, former National Secretary of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Hon. Usman Bugaje and former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Mrs. Paullen Tallen, had earlier rejected their nominations.
A former speaker of the Kaduna state House of Assembly, who was opposed by his state on account of his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Mohammed Yaro, did not also make the new list.
Those dropped from the new list include, Jamila Ahmadu-Suka (Sokoto), Clifford Zirra (Adamawa), Enyantu Ifenne (Benue), Ayodele Ayodeji (Ekiti), Sola Iki (Ondo), Adegboyega Ogunwusi (Osun), Sylvanus Adiewere Nsofor (Rivers), Mustapha Jaji (Taraba), and Abdullahi Garbasi (Zamfara).
The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, led by Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, had advised the Senate to reject the list and re-forward to the president for resubmission and re-jigging.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) which had no nominee in the last list has now been added, with Habis Ibrahim Ugbada getting nominated as its nominee.
Some other prominent names on the former list who made it back include, Alhaji Musa Ibeto (former deputy governor of Niger state), and George Oguntade, a former Justice of the Supreme Court, from Lagos state.
The names of nominees on the entire list as read on the floor of the upper chamber by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki yesterday are; Uzoma Emenike (Abia), Aminu Iyawa (Adamawa), Maj Gen Godwin Umoh Rtd (Akwa Ibom), Christopher Okeke (Anambra), Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi), Baba Madugu (Bauchi), Stanley Diriyai (Bayelsa) Stephen Ugba (Benue) Baba Ahmad Jidda (Borno) Etubom Asuquo (Cross River), Frank Efeduma (Delta) Jonah Odo (Ebonyi), Uyagwe Igbe (Edo), Eniola Ajayi (Ekiti), Chris Eze (Enugu), Suleiman Hassan (Gombe), Justice Sylvanus Nsofor (Imo), Amin Dalhatu (Jigawa) and Ahmed Bamilli (Kaduna).
Other are Deborah Iliya (Kaduna), Prof D. Abdulkadir (Kano), Haruna Ungogo (Kano), Justice Isa Dodo (Katsina), Mohammadu Rimi Barade (Katsina), Tijani Bande (Kebbi), Prof Y. Aliu (Kogi) Nurudeen Mohammed (Kwara), Prof Mohammed Yisa (Kwara), Justice George Adesola Oguntade (Lagos), Modupe Irele (Lagos), Musa Mohammad (Nasarawa), Ahmed Ibeto (Niger), Suzanne Aderonke Folarin (Ogun), Jacob Igbekele Daodu (Ondo), Afolahan Adeyemi (Osun), Maj Gen Ashimiyu Olaniyi (Oyo), James Dmika (Plateau), Haruna Abdullahi (Plateau), Orji Ngofa (Rivers), Sahabi Isa Gada (Sokoto), Kabir Umar (Sokoto) Jika Ado (Taraba), Goni Zanna Bura (Yobe), Garba Gajam (Zamfara) Capt Bala Mohammad Mairiga (Zamfara) and Habbiss Ibrahim Ugbada. (FCT).
