FORMER Senate Leader Ali Ndume has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withdraw the ambassadorial nomination list currently before the Senate, alleging that its composition breaches the Federal Character principle in the 1999 Constitution.
The ICIR reported that the Senate had received the lists of career and non-career ambassadorial nominees from the President on Wednesday and subsequently referred them to the Committee on Foreign Affairs for screening.
But Ndume, who represents Borno South, said in a statement on Saturday that the nominations were “lopsided” and failed to reflect Nigeria’s diversity as required under Section 14(3) of the Constitution.
He noted that while some states had as many as three or four nominees, others, including Gombe, had none. He added that Yobe’s only nominee, Senator Adamu Garba Talba, died in July, leaving the North East with just seven slots overall.
A breakdown of the nominees by geopolitical zones, he said, shows clear marginalisation of some regions, particularly the Northeast.
Ndume argued that the imbalance violates the constitutional requirement that appointments to federal institutions must reflect Nigeria’s federal character, thereby promoting national unity and preventing domination by a few states or ethnic groups.
“At this critical time in his administration, President Tinubu must avoid decisions that could fuel ethnic tension or breed distrust. I appeal to him to withdraw the list and present a fresh set of nominees that align with the spirit of the Constitution,” he said.
He added that the President, whom he described as a “cosmopolitan leader,” should ensure fair representation for all states and geopolitical zones to strengthen national cohesion and public trust in his administration’s commitment to inclusiveness.
Recall that Tinubu sent a list of ambassadors containing three names to the Senate.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced this in a letter from the president at the Senate plenary on Wednesday, November 26.
The non-career nominees are Kayode Are (Ogun), Aminu Dalhatu Jigawa, and Ayodele Oke.
Akpabio said the president would subsequently send more names. He said the president’s action aligned with Section 171 (1), (2)(c) and (4) of the 1999 constitution (as amended).
Since Tinubu recalled all ambassadors appointed by his predecessor, the late President Muhammadu Buhari, on September 2, 2023, he has yet to replace them.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.