Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is unhappy with President Bola Tinubu’s ambassadorial nominees’ list, specifically questioning his inclusion of the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu.
PDP’s concerns were contained in a statement by the party’s spokesman, Ini Ememobong, who described the list of 32 ambassadorial nominees as scandalous.
“Specifically, we convey the disappointment of many right-thinking Nigerians on the nomination of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate-past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), whose administration of our electoral umpire was characterised by countless double-speaks, flip-flops, and undelivered promises, which ultimately resulted in the birth of this administration, which is struggling in all areas of governance,” the PDP said on Saturday.
“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, in expectation of future rewards. This is absolutely scandalous and completely unacceptable.”
President Tinubu on Saturday sent a list of 32 persons to the Senate for confirmation as career and non-career ambassadors.
Apart from the ex-INEC chief, others who made the nominees’ list included a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri and a one-time Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode.
Ex-governors of Abia, Okezie Ikpeazu and a former governor of Enugu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi also made the cut.
Others nominated are the ex-First Lady of Oyo, Fatima Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande, and an ex-ambassador of Nigeria to the Holy See, Paul Oga Adikwu from Benue State among others.
We Demand Withdrawal
However, the PDP described the list as containing names of many “disgraced propagandists, characterless politicians, and public officials who are widely perceived negatively by Nigerians and the global community, for their integrity deficit and notable anti-democratic activities”.
The party, which ruled Nigeria from 1999 to 2015, labelling the development as a sad commentary on Nigeria’s diplomatic representation.
It said the list is “is very reprehensible and scandalous,” claiming the nominees are a reflection of Tinubu’s values.
“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 on behalf of the PDP.
“That it took the President almost three years to produce this list speaks to the paucity of excellent people within his reach.”
The party believes Nigeria deserves better representation and said “appointing and sending ambassadors with tainted political profiles is not only a great disservice to Nigeria but a setup for a diplomatic all-time low”.
“To this end,” it said, “we demand that President Bola Tinubu withdraw the said list and renominate only those with stellar democratic credentials and high moral standing, capable of commanding global respect for the ambassadorial assignments.”
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