In a statement issued on Saturday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the opposition party said the Peoples Democratic Party strongly condemns the list of ambassadorial nominees submitted by President Bola Tinubu.
The Peoples Democratic Party has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s newly submitted list of ambassadorial nominees, describing it as a reflection of the administration’s values and a setback for Nigeria’s diplomatic reputation.
According to the PDP, the list contains the names of individuals viewed by many Nigerians and the international community as having integrity deficits and histories of anti-democratic behaviour. The party described the development as not only a sad commentary on the country’s diplomatic history but also reprehensible and scandalous.
While noting the public outrage that followed the nominations, the party argued that the selections were consistent with the administration’s pattern. It added that the choices reveal the calibre of individuals the President considers suitable to represent Nigeria abroad, and that the long delay in compiling the list indicates a shortage of qualified candidates within his circle.
The PDP also rejected the nomination of former INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu, stating that his tenure was marked by inconsistencies and unfulfilled commitments, which it believes contributed to the emergence of the current administration. The party said offering him an ambassadorial appointment at this time demonstrates a skewed reward system and appears intended to influence the new INEC Chairman ahead of the 2027 elections. It described the move as scandalous and unacceptable.
Warning that the nation’s diplomatic standing could be undermined by nominees with questionable records, the party said that the respect a country receives internationally is closely tied to the integrity of its President and its ambassadors. It argued that sending envoys with tainted political profiles amounts to a disservice to Nigeria and risks pushing the country into a diplomatic low point.
The PDP demanded the immediate withdrawal of the list, urging the President to renominate only individuals with strong democratic credentials and high moral standing who can command global respect.
An online news outlet earlier reported that President Tinubu had transmitted a second batch of ambassadorial nominees to the Senate, forwarding 32 additional names days after submitting an initial list of three.
In two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President urged the Senate to consider and confirm 15 career and 17 non-career ambassadorial nominees. This development was disclosed in a statement issued by a media aide to the President on Saturday.
Among the non-career nominees are Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia; former presidential aide Reno Omokri from Delta; former INEC Chairman Mahmud Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo; and former Enugu Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. Others include Tasiu Musa Maigari, former Speaker of the Katsina House of Assembly; Yakubu N. Gambo, a former Commissioner in Plateau State and former deputy executive secretary of UBEC; Professor Nora Ladi Daduut, a former senator from Plateau; Otunba Femi Pedro, former deputy governor of Lagos State; former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode from Osun; and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra.
Also listed are former First Lady of Oyo State Fatima Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner Lola Akande; former Adamawa Senator Grace Bent; former Abia Governor Okezie Ikpeazu; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim from Ondo State; and former ambassador to the Holy See, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu from Benue State.
For career ambassadors and high commissioner designates, the President listed 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). Others 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 (Kwara), and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).
According to the Presidency, the new nominees are expected to be posted to countries with which Nigeria maintains significant bilateral relations—including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya—as well as permanent missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union. Their specific postings will be determined after Senate confirmation.
The President had earlier forwarded three ambassadorial nominees: Ambassador Ayodele Oke from Oyo, Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu from Jigawa, and Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are from Ogun. These three are reportedly under consideration for postings to the United Kingdom, United States, or France following confirmation.
