Opposition parties and the ruling All Progressives Congress clashed on Saturday following President Bola Tinubu’s transmission of a fresh list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate — his first major diplomatic appointments since he recalled all envoys from the country’s 109 foreign missions two years ago. Sunday Punch reports.
The nominations, released in two batches and now totalling 35, have drawn sharp criticism from the Peoples Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress and New Nigeria Peoples Party.
The parties accused Tinubu of using strategic diplomatic postings to reward political allies and controversial figures.
They particularly faulted the nomination of former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, describing it as scandalous.
The APC, however, dismissed the allegations as baseless and mischievous.
Two-year diplomatic vacuum
The President’s move comes amid rising public concern that Nigeria’s foreign missions have operated without substantive envoys since September 2023, when Tinubu ordered the withdrawal of all diplomats to reassess the country’s foreign policy direction.
Although the Federal Government completed vetting and security checks for several nominees as far back as April 2025, the appointment process stalled repeatedly, forcing missions to rely on chargés d’affaires and senior consular officers.
Tinubu attributed the prolonged delay in September to “complex political considerations.”
Ex-INEC chair’s nomination scandalous, wrong optics – PDP, ADC, NNPP
However, the ambassadorial list sparked a heated debate between the APC and leading opposition parties, who questioned the inclusion of some political and controversial figures in the list.
In its reaction, the PDP criticised the nomination list, describing it as “scandalous” and a reflection of President Bola Tinubu’s view of the country.
The party accused Tinubu of nominating persons of questionable character to represent Nigeria abroad, arguing that such choices undermined the country’s image and signalled a worrying decline in standards for public office.
However, the APC dismissed suggestions that President Tinubu used the envoy list to reward key political figures, especially the immediate past INEC chairman, Yakubu.
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the National Publicity Director of the party, Bala Ibrahim, said opposition parties were being “mischievous,” insisting that Yakubu’s nomination should not attract controversy.
“Does that mean if one has served as an INEC chairman, he is no longer a Nigerian or not qualified to hold positions?” he asked.
The Punch
