‘Ambassadorial Nominee Ayo Oke Already Cleared Of Corruption’, Says Tinubu’s Spokesman

Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, has said that one of his principal’s non-career Ambassadorial nominees, Amb. Ayo Oke, had been clear of corruption allegations against him following his removal from office as the director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) in 2017.

Recall that Amb. Oke was fingered in a cash cache involving $43 million, £27,800, and ₦23 million stashed in a private apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos State, in 2017.

The then President Muhammadu Buhari eventually sacked Oke as NIA boss, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) consequently filed money laundering charges against him and wife.

However, he fled the country and nothing was heard about him again until three days ago when President Tinubu forwarded his name to the Senate as an ambassadorial nominee.

LEADERSHIP reports that President Tinubu forwarded the names of three non-career ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation.

The request was contained in a letter addressed to the upper chamber and read during Wednesday’s plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

According to President Tinubu, the appointments were made in line with Section 171 (1), (2)(c), and (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The nominees were Kayode Are – Ogun State, Aminu Dalhatu – Jigawa State, Ayodele Oke – Oyo State.

The President urged the Senate to “consider and confirm the appointments of the nominees expeditiously,” while conveying his “highest consideration” to the lawmakers.

After reading the letter, Senate President Akpabio remarked that more nominations were expected “The list contains three names for now. I am sure others will follow,” he said.

He subsequently referred the request to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and directed the panel to screen the nominees and submit its report within one week.

However, netizens and civil society groups criticised the nomination of Amb. Oke over the alleged money laundering case against him, asking the Senate to reject his nomination.

But, Tinubu’s media aide Onanuga took to Facebook on Saturday morning to say the narrative about the nominee has changed as he was no longer facing any charges.

Onanuga referred the media and civil society organisations opposed to Oke’s nomination to a piece posted on Facebook, which he also shared, to buttress his point that Amb. Oke had received a clean bill of health.

Onanuga wrote: “Sahara Reporters and other knee-jerked rights groups should read this exculpatory piece on Ambassador Oke. He was once a victim of an orchestrated media trial, who was betrayed by his NIA agency.

“He was cleared after several years of diligent investigation. Again, he is being subjected to another media trial. Let the media get their facts right and stop the lynching of an innocent man.”