Five Tinubu ambassadorial nominees under scrutiny over past controversies
As the Senate begins screening President Bola Tinubu’s 65 ambassadorial nominees, at least five candidates are drawing intense scrutiny over past corruption probes, audit reports and inflammatory public statements, raising questions about their suitability to represent Nigeria abroad. Opposition parties, civil society groups and critics accuse the President of using key diplomatic postings to reward loyalists and controversial figures, particularly faulting the inclusion of former INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu and several politically exposed nominees. Among those flagged is ex National Intelligence Agency Director General Ayodele Oke, who was previously linked to the 2017 Ikoyi cash haul and faced money laundering charges over $43m, £27,800 and N23.8m recovered from a Lagos apartment, as well as a withdrawn EFCC case over $289m allegedly taken from NNPC accounts for “covert operations”. Another is retired Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, former Sole Administrator of […]