The Peoples Democratic Party has sharply criticised President Bola Tinubu’s newly released ambassadorial nominees, describing the list as “very reprehensible and scandalous”.
According to a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP said the list contains individuals it labelled as “disgraced propagandists, characterless politicians, and public officials,” insisting that many of the nominees are “widely perceived negatively by Nigerians and the global community, for their integrity deficit and notable anti democratic activities.”
The opposition party argued that the nominations reflect the President’s values, stating that “a nominee is a clear and direct reflection of the values and estimation of the nominator.” It added that “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.”
The PDP also questioned the timing, noting that “it took the President almost three years to produce this list,” which it said “speaks to the paucity of excellent people within his reach.”
A major point of contention in the press release was the nomination of Prof Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission. The PDP said his tenure was marked by “countless double speaks, flip flops, and undelivered promises,” warning that offering him an ambassadorial position “is an excellent exemplar of a skewed reward system.”
The party further alleged that the move could serve as “an incentive to the new INEC Chairman, to also deliver flawed elections in 2027, in expectation of future rewards,” calling it “absolutely scandalous and completely unacceptable.”
Emphasising the diplomatic implications, the PDP cautioned that “the respect a country gets from other countries cannot be separated from the integrity profile and public perception of both the President and the Ambassadors.” It insisted that sending individuals with “tainted political profiles” abroad is “a great disservice to Nigeria” and risks plunging the nation into “a diplomatic all time low.”
The party concluded its statement with a demand that President Tinubu withdraw the list and “renominate only those with stellar democratic credentials and high moral standing, capable of commanding global respect.”
The Presidency has yet to respond to the concerns raised.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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