Nigeria’s leading opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu’s latest list of ambassadorial nominees, describing the selection as “scandalous” and damaging to the country’s global reputation.
The party’s position was conveyed in a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesman, Ini Ememobong, who particularly faulted the inclusion of the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
According to the PDP, Yakubu’s tenure as INEC chairman was marked by “double-speaks, flip-flops, and undelivered promises,” culminating in electoral outcomes the opposition insists contributed to what it calls an underperforming administration. The party argued that rewarding the former electoral chief with an ambassadorial posting was both insensitive and a dangerous precedent.
“To offer him an ambassadorial appointment at a time like this is an excellent exemplar of a skewed reward system, which we suspect is designed as an incentive to the new INEC Chairman to also deliver flawed elections in 2027,” the party said. “This is absolutely scandalous and completely unacceptable.”
President Tinubu had on Saturday forwarded 32 names to the Senate for confirmation as career and non-career ambassadors. The list includes former presidential adviser Reno Omokri; former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode; ex-governors Okezie Ikpeazu and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; former Oyo First Lady, Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande; and former envoy to the Holy See, Paul Oga Adikwu, among others.
The PDP, however, rejected the compilation, claiming it contains individuals it described as “disgraced propagandists, characterless politicians, and public officials widely perceived negatively by Nigerians and the global community for integrity deficits and anti-democratic activities.” The party argued that such choices fall short of the standards expected for diplomatic representation.
Describing the development as a “sad commentary on Nigeria’s global engagement,” the PDP maintained that the nominees reflect the President’s values and the alleged scarcity of credible individuals within his administration’s circle of influence.
“By making these nominations, the President has shown Nigerians that these are the best people he has to represent our country in the countries where they will be posted,” Ememobong wrote. “That it took the President almost three years to produce this list speaks to the paucity of excellent people within his reach.”
The party insisted that Nigeria deserves envoys with unimpeachable democratic credentials and strong moral standing, warning that deploying individuals with tainted political histories would expose the nation to further diplomatic embarrassment.
The PDP therefore called on President Tinubu to withdraw the list and forward a fresh set of nominees who can command global respect and strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic posture.
