The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has picked hole on the list ambassadorial nominees sent to the Senate by President Bola Tinubu, and said the list contained people the party said has integrity deficit and anti-democratic credentials.
PDP in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary Ini Emembong, described the list as a sad commentary on the countryโs history of diplomatic representation.
“It is very reprehensible and scandalous,” the party stated.
According to the PDP, while most Nigerians are appalled by the inclusion of most of the nominees, they are not totally surprised, given the history and disposition of this administration.
“Furthermore, it is an incontestable fact that a nominee is a clear and direct reflection of the values and estimation of the nominator.
“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 party added.
PDP noted that it took President Tinubu almost three years to produce the list, and said “it speaks to the paucity of excellent people within his reach.”
The party specifically, objected to the nomination of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate-past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), whose tenure as the nation’s electoral umpire, PDP stated, was characterised by countless double-speaks, flip-flops, and undelivered promises, which ultimately resulted in the birth of Tinubu administration, which is struggling in all areas of governance.
“To offer him an ambassadorial appointment at a time like this is an excellent exemplar of a skewed reward system, which we suspect is designed as an incentive to the new INEC Chairman, to also deliver flawed elections in 2027, in expectation of future rewards.
“This is absolutely scandalous and completely unacceptable,” the party stated.
It reminded President Tinubu that the respect a country gets from other countries could not be separated from the integrity profile and public perception of both the president and the Ambassadors.
“So, appointing and sending ambassadors with tainted political profiles is not only a great disservice to Nigeria but a setup for a diplomatic all-time low,” PDP said, and demanded that the list should be withdrawn and people with stellar democratic credentials and high moral standing, capable of commanding global respect for the ambassadorial assignments, be renominated.
