Opposition hits Tinubu over ‘tainted’ ambassador picks
Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has lashed out at President Bola Tinubu over his newly released list of 32 ambassadorial nominees, accusing him of rewarding failure and undermining the country’s global image.
In a sharp statement on Saturday, PDP spokesman Ini Ememobong described the list as “scandalous,” singling out the nomination of former INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu for fierce criticism.
The party said Yakubu’s tenure at the electoral commission was marked by “double-speaks, flip-flops, and undelivered promises,” arguing that the 2023 election under his watch produced an administration “struggling in all areas of governance.”
According to the PDP, appointing Yakubu as an ambassador is a “skewed reward system” that appears designed to send a message to the new INEC leadership ahead of the 2027 polls.
The party warned that such appointments could incentivise the delivery of “flawed elections” in exchange for future postings, calling the move “absolutely scandalous and completely unacceptable.”
Tinubu’s list, forwarded to the Senate on Saturday, includes former presidential aide Reno Omokri; ex-Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode; former governors Okezie Ikpeazu and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; former Oyo First Lady, Florence Ajimobi; ex-Lagos Commissioner Lola Akande; and former ambassador to the Holy See, Paul Oga Adikwu.
The PDP described many of the nominees as “disgraced propagandists” and “characterless politicians” who carry “integrity deficits” and “anti-democratic baggage,” insisting that their selection is a “sad commentary on Nigeria’s diplomatic representation.”
The opposition party accused Tinubu of presenting a list that reflects his own values, saying it was shocking that “it took the President almost three years to produce this list,” only to deliver nominees it claimed fall below global standards.
Arguing that Nigeria deserves “better representation,” the PDP demanded the immediate withdrawal of the list and urged Tinubu to put forward individuals with “stellar democratic credentials and high moral standing” capable of commanding international respect.