The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Thursday announced that President Muhammadu Buhari had sent a “revised” list of 46 non-career ambassadorial nominees to the lawmakers for approval.
Saraki read Buhari’s letter to members of the Senate during the plenary on Thursday.
The Senate had on November 15, 2016, rejected the first version of the list after receiving over 250 petitions against the nominees.
Due to the controversy in the nominations, the lawmakers had resolved that the first list be sent back to President Buhari “for representation and re-jigging.”
The Senate took the decision based on the recommendation of its Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Two of the nominees on the first list – former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Mrs. Paulen Tallen; and a former member of the House of Representatives, Usman Bugaje – who rejected their nomination were dropped from the second list.
Lagos, which had three slots in the first list, now has two, with the removal of Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora.
A slot was also taken from Rivers State, leaving it with one nominee.
The Federal Capital Territory and Imo State, which had no representation in the first list, now have a nominee each on the second list.
State governors, especially from the ruling All Progressives Congress, had protested against their non-involvement in the selection of the non-career ambassadorial nominees by Buhari.
PUNCH
