PDP Condemns Tinubu’s Ambassadorial List

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria’s main opposition party, has strongly rejected the list of ambassadorial nominees recently presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu. The party described the selection as “reprehensible and scandalous,” suggesting the list rewards political loyalty rather than merit.

The primary opposition was targeted at the nomination of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The PDP stated that his inclusion on the list raises serious questions and serves as a reflection of the values championed by the Tinubu administration.

President Tinubu submitted the list containing thirty-two additional ambassadorial nominees to the Senate on Saturday. The nominees include Prof. Yakubu, former presidential aide Reno Omokri, former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, and former Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Okezie Ikpeazu, among others.

The PDP asserted that the President failed to select the best hands to represent Nigeria in foreign countries. Instead, the party believes the list serves to reward those perceived to have performed “dirty jobs” to aid the President’s ascent to power.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP characterized many of the nominees as “disgraced propagandists, characterless politicians, and public officials” who are widely perceived negatively by Nigerians and the global community due to integrity deficits.

“This development is not just a sad commentary on our country’s history of diplomatic representation; it is very reprehensible and scandalous,” the party’s statement read. The PDP noted that while most Nigerians are appalled, they are not entirely surprised given the history and disposition of the current administration.

The opposition party expressed specific alarm over the inclusion of Professor Yakubu. They accused him of overseeing an electoral tenure characterized by “countless double-speaks, flip-flops, and undelivered promises,” which they argue resulted in the birth of the current administration that is now struggling.

The PDP views the ambassadorial appointment offered to the former INEC Chairman as an “excellent exemplar of a skewed reward system.” They suggested the nomination is a direct incentive designed to encourage the new INEC Chairman to “deliver flawed elections in 2027” in expectation of similar future rewards.

The party warned that appointing and sending ambassadors with “tainted political profiles” is a great disservice to Nigeria. They argued that such a choice is a setup for a “diplomatic all-time low” and undermines the country’s global standing.

The PDP concluded by demanding that President Tinubu immediately withdraw the current list of nominees. They insisted that Nigeria is blessed with individuals who possess “stellar democratic credentials and high moral standing” capable of commanding global respect for the ambassadorial assignments.