The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the ambassadorial list presented by President Bola Tinubu.
The party in a statement by its spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, described it as “outrageously underwhelming” and primarily designed to settle his political IOUs rather than address Nigeria’s urgent international relations crises.
Abdullahi said the list, which comes after a more than two-year delay, features a comic cast of political jobbers, corruption suspects, and a patronage of wives, children, and relatives of the President’s political associates.
READ ALSO: Tinubu declares ‘war on insecurity’ as Church leaders back lawful Protection, state police
He argued that the list fails to provide the disciplined and credible diplomatic corps needed to rebuild the nation’s “collapsing credibility” on the global stage.
At the core of the controversy is the nomination of Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Yakubu supervised the election that brought Tinubu into office.
Abdullahi said the party viewed the appointment as embarrassingly insensitive, coming barely two years after the controversial election and only weeks after he left the INEC office.
He warned that the appointment “blurs what should be a distinct line between players and umpires.”
Abdullahi noted that if the nomination is allowed to stand, it would set a “dangerous precedent” where future electoral officials may view their positions as stepping stones to political rewards, making neutrality impossible and elections “transactional.”
Call for rejection
He added that ADC conducted a cursory review of the list, finding that almost all nominees fall into three categories: former career diplomats, political supporters or their relatives, and members of the president’s political party.
He questioned in which of these three categories Yakubu belongs, calling the implication deeply unsettling.
While acknowledging that no stipulated cooling-off period exists under Nigerian law, Abdullahi stressed that “ethical standards must be upheld,” especially when the situation threatens the foundation of Nigeria’s democracy.
READ ALSO: NDLEA boss Marwa reveals military bid to block Tinubu’s Lagos governorship rise
He made two key demands calling on Yakubu to do the patriotic thing and reject this appointment for the sake of INEC’s institutional credibility and the integrity of future elections.
Abdullahi also called on the Senate to reject his nomination if Yakubu fails to decline the appointment, in the interest of preserving democracy.
