President Tinubu has nominated non-career ambassadors for three countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. The postings will be finalised following Senate screening.
The three nominees are Ambassador Ayodele Oke, Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are, and Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu.
Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu previously served as Nigeria’s ambassador to South Korea during President Buhari’s administration, having been first appointed in 2016.
Ambassador Ayodele Oke, an alumnus of Emory University in 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.
Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are was Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) from 1999 to 2007, served as National Security Adviser in 2010, and was an officer in the Directorate of Military Intelligence. He graduated with First Class Honours in Psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980.
Meanwhile, Ayodele Oke’s re-emergence into public office, despite his long-standing association with the infamous $43 million cash discovered in an Ikoyi apartment and his declaration as wanted by the EFCC, raises troubling questions about the value placed on integrity in Nigeria’s leadership culture. Even though he has not been criminally convicted, the unresolved nature of the allegations, the stalled prosecution, the disappearance of momentum in the case, and the lack of public closure, leaves a cloud over his public profile.
When such a high-profile matter appears to “fade away” without transparent resolution, it reinforces a perception that accountability in Nigeria is selective and that proximity to power often shields individuals from consequences. The quiet burial of the issue only deepens public mistrust, especially when the central figure later resurfaces not with censure but with national honours and prestigious postings.
That Oke has now been rewarded with an ambassadorial nomination, sends a message far beyond the man himself; it reflects on the national character we project to the world. Ambassadors are meant to embody the best of a country's competence, honour, and unquestionable integrity. When individuals with unresolved controversies are appointed to such positions, it suggests that Nigeria is willing to overlook reputational baggage that other countries would consider disqualifying. It signals to citizens that merit and moral standing are secondary to political convenience, and it tells the international community that our standards for representation are negotiable.
Observes believe that in any stable and credibility-focused nation, unresolved corruption allegations, especially of this magnitude, would be a barrier, not a stepping stone. The ease with which such issues are brushed aside forces us to confront a difficult question: What does this say about us as a people if we consistently elevate individuals whose integrity remains in doubt?
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