PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has nominated the former Chief of Naval Staff and immediate past sole administrator of Rivers State, Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, as a non-career ambassador.
The list includes former Senator Ita Enang; former Imo State First Lady, Chioma Ohakim; and former Minister of Interior and ex-Chief of Army Staff Abdulrahman Dambazau.
The nominations, conveyed in a letter read on the Senate floor, on Thursday, December 4, by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, were referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The committee was also directed to complete their screening and report within one week.
In his letter, Tinubu urged the lawmakers to give the nominees prompt consideration to enable him to make critical diplomatic postings.
This latest batch followed earlier nominations that were widely criticised by the opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Nigerians, who accused the president of rewarding political allies rather than appointing qualified diplomats.
On November 29, the PDP described a previous ambassadorial list as ‘scandalous’ and full of individuals with “integrity deficits,” alleging further that the selections were politically motivated rather than merit based.
The party said the list confirmed fears that the Tinubu administration was more inclined to rewarding political loyalists than appointing credible representatives capable of enhancing Nigeria’s global standing.
According to the statement, signed by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the ambassadorial selections offered a troubling picture of the president’s judgment and priorities. The party said it was no surprise that Nigerians reacted with outrage when the names were made public.
Similarly, many citizens on social media expressed outrage, particularly over nominations of former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and politicians whose past roles were marked by controversy. They argued that these appointments reinforced perceptions of patronage and a reward system for loyalty rather than competence.
If confirmed, the newly nominated ambassadors will be posted to key nations including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the UAE, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as multilateral missions such as the United Nations, African Union, and UNESCO.
Tinubu had recalled all ambassadors appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in September 2023.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M