Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan met with President Bola Tinubu on Thursday to discuss the ongoing political standoff in Guinea-Bissau, shortly after his return to Abuja.

The briefing comes amid heightened tensions in the West African nation, where political instability has persisted following recent disputes over government formation and parliamentary sessions.

Jonathan, who has been actively involved in regional mediation efforts, provided Tinubu with a detailed update on the situation.

Speaking at the State House, moments ago , Jonathan who had been in Guinea Bissau as part of a joint observer mission for the African Union, ECOWAS and the West African Elders Forum reiterates that what happened there was neither a traditional military coup nor a palace coup.

He describes it instead as “a ceremonial coup”, carried out as a kind of ceremony led by the head of state himself.

He is urging ECOWAS leaders to engage directly with the military authorities in the country , secure the release of the detained opposition candidate, whom he says committed no offence and ensure the official results are announced.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent the names of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, days after he sent the first batch of three names.

In two separate letters to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu asked the Senate to consider and confirm expeditiously 15 nominees as career ambassadors and 17 nominees as non-career ambassadors.

There are four women on the career ambassadors’ list and six women on the non-career ambassadors’ list.

Among the non-career ambassador designates are Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia, a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri (Delta), former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmud Yakubu, former Ekiti first lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo, and former Enugu governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Others are Tasiu Musa Maigari, the former speaker of the Katsina House of Assembly, Yakubu N. Gambo, a former Commissioner in Plateau State and former deputy executive secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

Professor Nora Ladi Daduut, a former senator from Plateau; Otunba Femi Pedro, a former deputy governor of Lagos State; Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, a former aviation minister from Osun State; and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State are on the nomination list.

Also on the list are former First Lady of Oyo, Fatima Florence Ajimobi, former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande, former Adamawa Senator, Grace Bent, former governor of Abia, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, businessman, lawyer and Senator from Ondo State, and the former ambassador of Nigeria to the Holy See, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu from Benue State.

Among the nominees for career ambassador and high commissioner-designates are: Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia), Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba), Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa), Musa Musa Abubakar (Kebbi), Syndoph Paebi Endoni (Bayelsa), Chima Geoffrey Lioma David (Ebonyi) and Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun).

The other nominees are Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kawara) and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).

The new nominees are expected to be posted to countries with which Nigeria maintains excellent and strategic bilateral relations, such as China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, Kenya, and to Permanent Missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union. All the nominees will know their diplomatic assignments after their confirmation by the Senate.

Last week, President Tinubu sent three ambassadorial nominees for screening and confirmation. The nominees were Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun). All three are in the pot for posting to the UK, USA, or France after their confirmation.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said more nominees for ambassadorial positions will be announced soon.

The Ogun State Government has called for an immediate, temporary suspension of lead ingot exportation pending a full investigation into alleged lead contamination in the Ogijo area of Sagamu Local Government.

This position followed an on-the-spot inspection in Ogijo after a viral video raised concerns about possible lead poisoning in the community. The Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, led a combined team of experts from the Ministries of Environment and Health, the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).

During the visit, the government ordered the closure of seven industries involved in Used Lead-Acid Battery recycling within the Ogijo axis.

Oresanya assured residents that there is no cause for panic, noting that the state will immediately commence a comprehensive Health and Process Audit of the affected facilities. This will include testing for lead levels in humans, soil, air, and water sources across the industrial community.

He added that the government will make the findings public once the investigation is completed, while also reviewing the methodology used in the earlier test results circulated in the media.