Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has taken aim at President Bola Tinubu’s newly released list of 65 ambassadorial nominees, insisting it falls short of the federal character requirement and should be withdrawn ahead of the Senate’s screening exercise scheduled for next week.
Ndume, a former Senate Leader, said the distribution of nominees across the states and geopolitical zones failed to meet constitutional expectations for fairness and equal representation. In a statement issued in Abuja, he cautioned that proceeding with the list in its current form could heighten ethnic mistrust at a time when the government ought to be consolidating national cohesion.
He cited striking disparities in the allocation of nominees, noting that some states were listed with as many as four candidates, while others received none. He also questioned the inclusion of Senator Adamu Garba Talba from Yobe, who reportedly passed away in July.
According to Ndume, the North-East received seven nominees, the South-West 15, the North-West and South-East 13 and 9, respectively. The North-Central zone was allotted 10 while the South-South secured 12 slots.
He warned that such imbalances risk violating Section 14(3) of the Constitution, which emphasises equitable distribution of public offices.
He appealed to President Tinubu to withdraw the list and present a replacement that reflects constitutional guidelines. “At this point in his administration, he should avoid actions that may undermine national unity. I know him to be a leader who is comfortable with every segment of this country. He should withdraw that list and submit a fresh one aligned with the federal character principle,” he said.
The Senate is expected to commence the screening of the 65 nominees next week, following the submission made by the President last Thursday. Senate President Godswill Akpabio read out the transmission, which contains 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners alongside 31 non-career nominees.
The development followed the Senate’s earlier screening of a separate batch of three nominees forwarded by the Presidency less than 24 hours earlier.
Among those listed as career diplomats are Sulu-Gambari Olatunji Ahmed (Kwara), Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno) and Maimuna Ibrahim (Adamawa).
The non-career nominees include prominent figures such as former Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), former presidential aide Ita Enang, and former Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.). Others on the list are Reno Omokri, former INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, former Lagos deputy governor Otunba Femi Pedro, former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim and former Enugu governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Akpabio has directed the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to scrutinise the list and submit its report within one week.
