By Chimaobi Afiauwa, Abuja
Former critics of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Reno Omokri and Femi Fani-Kayode, along with Senator Shehu Sani, are among notable figures reportedly nominated for ambassadorial appointments by the federal government.
Omokri, an ex-presidential spokesperson, and Fani-Kayode, a former Aviation Minister, were part of the media team of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2015 elections and were at the forefront of vehemently labelling the then-opposition party, APC, as an evil party.
MUK TV recalls that in the events leading to the 2023 presidential election, the two social commentators—especially Omokri—castigated President Bola Tinubu using unprintable names in the media, owing to allegations linking him to drug trafficking in the United States of America.
However, in a dramatic turn of events, a few months into Tinubu’s administration, Omokri began praising the government and commending some of its neo-liberal economic policies—despite the widespread hardship those policies have inflicted on the populace.
According to Vanguard, Omokri and other nominees are currently undergoing security screenings ahead of an official announcement.
It will be recalled that nearly a year ago, all Nigerian ambassadors were recalled from their foreign postings without immediate replacements—a move that raised concerns about the country’s diplomatic representation and foreign policy continuity.
Sources revealed that the résumés of the shortlisted individuals have already been forwarded to relevant security agencies for background vetting.
One of the appointees, who confirmed the development anonymously, declined to give further details.
Efforts to get similar confirmations from other nominees were unsuccessful.
When asked why the list had not been made public, a Presidency source explained under condition of anonymity, “They (those appointed) are already doing security checks with the Department of State Service, DSS.
When they have cleared security checks, we will release the list.
“Only those who have been cleared are announced. The process is ongoing. I know we should have a list before the end of this month.”
