Senator Ali Ndume criticized President Bola Tinubu’s 65 nominees for ambassadorship on Saturday, arguing that the list violates the principle of federal character and should be retracted before next week’s Senate screening.
Ndume, a former Senate Leader and Chief Whip, claimed that the distribution of nominees among states and geopolitical zones does not meet the constitutional standard for equitable representation in the formation of the Federal Government.
In a statement released in Abuja, the legislator cautioned that permitting the list to go through might exacerbate ethnic distrust at a moment when the government ought to be strengthening national cohesion.
He emphasized differences in the distribution of nominees, mentioning that while certain states have three or four positions, others have none at all. He also mentioned the inclusion of Senator Adamu Garba Talba from Yobe, who allegedly passed away in July.
“The entire Northeast state has seven nominees in the list. Further checks revealed that the South-West geopolitical zone has 15 nominees, while the North-West and South-East have 13 and 9, respectively. The North-Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominees, while South-South parades 12 nominees,” Ndume said.
He cautioned that these kinds of imbalances might escalate tensions and weaken Section 14(3) of the Constitution.
“My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical juncture in his administration, he should avoid missteps that could undermine national unity and foster ethnic distrust.
“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholder in the country.
“He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on the Federal Character Principle,” Ndume added.
The Senate plans to start evaluating the 65 nominees next week after obtaining the submission from President Tinubu last Thursday.
The communication, delivered by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, featured 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners along with 31 non-career nominees.
The announcement was made less than a day after senators began reviewing a previous group of three candidates submitted by the presidency.
Prominent career diplomats featured in the roster are Ambassadors Sulu-Gambari Olatunji Ahmed (Kwara), Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), and Maimuna Ibrahim (Adamawa).
The list of non-career nominees features several political heavyweights, such as former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) from Cross River; ex-presidential aide and former senator, Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom); and former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.) from Kano.
Other prominent names include former presidential aide Reno Omokri, former INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, ex-Lagos deputy governor Otunba Femi Pedro, former Aviation Minister Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, ex-Enugu State governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim.
Senate insiders stated that the exercise “will not be business as usual,” with opposition senators hinting at a more probing session for several nominees.
Akpabio has referred the list to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs with a one-week deadline.
“The committee is to report back to us in one week,” he said.
