Ndume urges Tinubu to withdraw ambassadorial list. But here’s where the issue becomes more than just a routine personnel update—this list has sparked a crucial debate about Nigeria’s federal character and national unity.
By John Alechenu, Abuja
Former Senate Leader Ali Ndume is calling on President Bola Tinubu to pull back the ambassadorial slate the Senate is set to screen and confirm. Ndume spoke in Abuja on Thursday, arguing that the current slate breaches the Federal Character principle enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution (as amended).
His concern centers on unequal regional representation. While some states have three or four nominees, Gombe State appears without any representative. Notably, the lone nominee from Yobe, Senator Adamu Garba Talba, passed away last July.
The distribution shows an apparent concentration: the entire Northeast has seven nominees, the Southwest dominates with fifteen, the Northwest and Southeast have thirteen and nine respectively, and the North Central has ten. The South South accounts for twelve nominees. These figures raise questions about balanced regional participation in Nigeria’s diplomatic corps.
The Senate President had, in plenary on Thursday, read the list of nominees and referred it to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for further action.
Ndume, who represents Borno South, argued that the slate violates Section 14(3) of the Constitution, which requires government composition and operations to reflect the federation’s diverse character and promote national unity, while avoiding dominance by a few states or sectional groups.
In Ndume’s words: the president should withdraw the list at this pivotal moment to prevent missteps that could undermine national cohesion and fuel ethnic distrust. He described Tinubu as a cosmopolitan leader trusted by all segments of the country and urged the presentation of a refreshed slate that embodies the federal character principle, ensuring representation from Nigeria’s varied states and peoples across the federation.
This is a pivotal moment for Nigeria’s federal inclusivity in diplomatic appointments, and opinions are likely to diverge on how best to balance regional representation with qualifications and merit.
