• Photo : People hold placards with an image of Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran. Majid Asgaripour/WANA via REUTERS.

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei 56, a Shi’ite cleric with a power base among the security forces and their vast business empire, has been declared the new Supreme Leader of Iran.

Iranian state media reports on Monday that large crowds in several cities rally behind the new leader, waving Iranian flags and holding portraits of his father Ali Khamenei, killed by strikes on the war’s first day.

In Isfahan, state TV reported the sound of nearby explosions from apparent airstrikes as loyalists gathered in the historic Imam Square, chanting “God is the Greatest”

In Tehran, a eulogist could be heard singing: “Either death or Khamenei, our blood leads to paradise.”

Politicians and institutions issued pledges of loyalty to the new supreme leader, whose wife, son and mother also died at the start of the U.S.-Israeli air onslaught according to Iranian state media.

“We will obey the commander-in-chief until the last drop ⁠of our blood,” a defence council statement said.

Iranians reached by telephone were divided, with supporters of the authorities hailing the choice as a declaration of defiance and opponents fearful it would dash their hopes for change.

“I am so happy that he is our new leader. It was a slap in the face to our enemies that thought the system will collapse with the killing of his father. Our late leader’s path will continue,” said university student Zahra Mirbagheri, 21, from Tehran.

• President Bola Tinubu. Credit: X

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the postings of 31 career and 34 non-career ambassadors to various countries and the United Nations.

The Senate confirmed the ambassadors-designate last December.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President(Information and Strategy), confirmed the postings, on Friday.

NON CAREER AMBASSADORS / HIGH COMMISSIONERS

1. 1. SENATOR GRACE BENT: LOME-TOGO
2. 2. SEN. ITA ENANG: SOUTH AFRICA
3. 3. IKPEAZU VICTOR: SPAIN
4. 4. NKECHI LINDA UFOCHUKWU: TEL-AVIV, ISRAEL
5. 5. MAHMUD YAKUBU: QATAR
6. 6. PAUL OGA ADIKWU: THE VATICAN CITY HOLY SEE
7. 7. VICE ADMIRAL IBOK-ETE EKWE IBAS: THE PHILIPPINES
8. 8. MR. RENO OMOKRI: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
9. 9. HON. (ENGR.) ABASI BRAIMAH (FMHR): BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
10. 11. MRS. ERELU ANGELA ADEBAYO: PORTUGAL
11. 12. BARR. OLUMILUA OLUWAYIMIKA AYOTUNWA: TOKYO, JAPAN
12. 13. RT. HON. UGWUANYI IFEANYI LAWRENCE: ATHENS, GREECE
13. 15. BARR. CHIOMA PRISCILLA OHAKIM: WARSAW, POLAND
14. 16. AMINU DALHATU: UNITED KINGDOM, UK
15. 17. LT. GEN ABDULRAHMAN BELLO
16. 18 DAMBAZAU: BEIJING, CHINA
17. 19 .HON. TASIU MUSA MAIGARI: GAMBIA
18. 20. OLUFEMI PEDRO: AUSTRALIA
19. 21. BARR. MUHAMMED UBANDOMA ALIYU: ARGENTINA
20. 22. LATEEF KAYODE ARE: USA
21. 23. AMB. JOSEPH SOLA IJI: RUSSIA
22. 24. SEN. JIMOH IBRAHIM: UN PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
23. 25. FEMI FANI KAYODE: GERMANY
24. 26. PROF. ISAAK FOLORUNSO ADEWOLE. OTTAWA, CANADA
25. 27. AJIMOBI FATIMA FLORENCE (F): AUSTRIA
26. 28. MRS. LOLA AKANDE (F): SWEDEN
27. 29. AYODELE OKE: FRANCE
28. 30.YAKUBU N. GAMBO: SAUDI ARABIA
29. 31. SENATOR PROF. NORA LADI DADUUT: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
30. 32. BARR. ONUEZE CHUKWUJIKA JOE OKOCHA SAN: DUBLIN
31. 33. DR. KULU HARUNA ABUBAKAR: TUNIS, TUNISIA
32. 34. RT. HON. JERRY SAMUEL MANWE: PORT OF SPAIN, T&T

CAREER AMBASSADORS / HIGH COMMISSIONERS

1. AMB. NWABIOLA EZENWA CHUKWUMEKA: COTE D’IV/OIRE
2. BESTO MAIMUNA IBRAHIM: NIAMEY-NIGER
3. MONICA OKWUCHUKWU ENEBECHI: SAO TOME, STP
4. AMB. MOHAMMED MAHMUD LELE: ALGIERS-ALGERIA
5. ENDONI SYNDOPH PAEBI: OUAGADOUGOU-BURKINA FASO
6. AHMED MOHAMMED MONGUNO: CAIRO EGYPT
7. AMB.JANE ADAMS (NEE OKON) MICHAEL (F): KINGSTON-JAMAICA
8. AMB. CLARK-OMERU ALEXANDRA (F): LUSAKA-ZAMBIA
9. CHIMA GEOGGREY LIOMA DAVID: BAMAKO-MALI
10. AMB. ODUMAH YVONNE EHINOSEN: MALABO –E/GUINEA
11. AMB WASA SEGUN IGE: BEIRUT, LEBANON
12. RUBEN ABIMBOLA SAMUEL (F): ROME, ITALY
13. AMB.ONAGA OGECHUKWU KINGSLEY: MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE
14. AMB.MAGAJI UMAR: KINSASHA, DR CONGO
15. AMB.MUHAMMAD SAIDU DAHIRU: NEW DELHI-INDIA
16. AMB. ABDUSSALAM HABU ZAYYAD: DAKAR-SENEGAL
17. AMB SHEHU ILU BARDE: ACCRA GHANA
18. AMB.AMINU NASIR: ETHIOPIA
19. ABUBAKAR MUSA MUSA: N’DJAMENA, CHAD
20. AMB. HAIDARA MOHAMMED IDRIS: THE HAGUE-NETHERLANDS
21. AMB.BAKO ADAMU UMAR: RABAT-MOROCCO
22. AMB. SULU GAMBARI OLATUNJI AHMED: MALAYSIA
23. AMB.ROMATA MOHAMMED OMOBOLANLE (F): TANZANIA
24. AMB. SHAGA JOHN SHAMAH: BOTSWANA
25. SALAU, HAMZA MOHAMMED: TEHRAN, IRAN
26. AMB.IBRAHIM DANLAMI: KENYA
27. IBRAHIM ADEOLA MOPELOLA (F): COTONOU-BENIN
28. AMB.AYENI ADEBAYO EMMANUEL: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
29. AMB.AKANDE WAHAB ADEKOLA: BERNE-SWITZERLAND
30. AMB. AREWA (NEE ADEDOKUN) ESTHER (F): WINDHOEK-NAMIBIA
31. AMB.GERGADI JOSEPH JOHN: LIBREVILLE-GABON
32. AMB. LUTHER OGBOMODE AYO-KALATA (F): SIERRA LEONE
33. DANLADI YAKUBU NYAKU : KHARTOUM-SUDAN
34. BELLO DOGON-DAJI HALIRU: BANGKOK, THAILAND

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already received agrément from the United Kingdom for the High Commissioner-designate, Ambassador Aminu Dalhatu. Similarly, France has sent the agrément for Ambassador Ayo Oke.

The Ministry has also conveyed the nominations of the other 62 designated envoys to all the countries concerned, including a request for their agréments in line with standard diplomatic practice.

President Tinubu has directed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should immediately commence the induction programme for the ambassadors-designate and High Commissioners.

Photo: Director -General of BPP, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, during a courtesy call on the Registrar-General/CEO of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, March 5, 2026.

The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) revealed that in the last 12 months, it saved 1.1 trillion for the government in view of its implementation of a robust price intelligence mechanisms.

The Director General of the BPP, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, disclosed this today during a courtesy call on the Registrar-General/CEO of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, to strengthen collaboration in order to support the present administration’s agenda for a trillion-dollar economy.

Dr. Adebowale recalled the long-standing collaboration between the two agencies which dates back to 2008 and therefore applauded the reforms being implemented by the Commission.

Adebowale remarked that the two agencies have a critical role to play in the efforts being made to realize a trillion dollar economy.

While speaking on beneficial ownership, the BPP DG harped on the need to ensure transparency and to, among others, weed out those he called same and multiple bidders.

While highlighting BPP’s reforms, Adebowale stressed the need for robust enforcement measures to ensure compliance and accountability by professional bodies whose executives often overstay their tenure of office in contravention of the code of corporate governance.

In his remarks, the Registrar-General highlighted CAC’s reform initiatives which are in tandem with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, especially Item 7 that harps on digitization and innovation.

The CAC boss, who enjoined the BPP to utilize the Commission’s globally acclaimed Beneficial Ownership Register to enhance their operations, also asked for collaboration on capacity development between the two agencies.