Opposition parties and the All Progressives Congress traded accusations after President Bola Tinubu forwarded a new batch of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate his first significant diplomatic appointments since recalling all envoys from Nigeria’s 109 foreign missions two years ago.
The nominations, now totalling 35, drew sharp criticism from the Peoples Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress and New Nigeria Peoples Party, who accused the President of using strategic diplomatic postings to reward political allies and controversial figures.
They argued that the inclusion of former INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, was especially scandalous. The APC dismissed these claims as baseless.
Tinubu’s action followed mounting concerns over a two-year diplomatic vacuum created since September 2023 when he recalled all ambassadors to reset Nigeria’s foreign policy direction.
Though vetting for several candidates was completed months ago, political considerations delayed appointments. The Presidency recently confirmed that a fresh list had been transmitted to the Senate with a request for swift confirmation. It contained both career diplomats and politically exposed nominees expected to be deployed to key global capitals and multilateral missions.
The opposition condemned the list as poorly considered and damaging to Nigeria’s image. The PDP said the President had nominated individuals of questionable character, reflecting a disregard for international perception.
It criticised Yakubu’s nomination, calling it a reward for a controversial tenure at INEC and warning that it risked setting a harmful precedent.
The ADC described the list as “job for the boys,” adding that key nominees might not obtain host-country approval before Nigeria’s next general election. The NNPP noted that Yakubu’s inclusion created troubling optics given the contentious 2023 general election he oversaw.
The APC rejected the accusations, insisting that the criticisms were politically motivated. It argued that former electoral chiefs remained eligible for national service and pointed to earlier examples, such as former INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega’s post-tenure roles.
The party maintained that Yakubu’s record qualified him for public service and dismissed claims of political reward as unfounded.
The Presidency stated that nominees would learn their specific postings after Senate confirmation.
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