Ambassadorial list: Senior lawyers pick holes, harp on rigorous vetting

Nigeria’s diplomatic machinery jolted back to life after nearly three years of vacancy when President Bola Tinubu earlier this week finally released his long-awaited ambassadorial nominee list.

But instead of easing concerns, the list has triggered a storm of legal and ethical debates, with some of the nation’s most outspoken lawyers dissecting its implications and warning of the long-term damage it could cause if not properly scrutinized and vetted by the Senate.

The lawyers who spoke to Law & Human Right on the issue include Kunle Edun, SAN, Liborous Oshoma, Inibehe Effiong, Evans Ufeli, Gbenga Ojo, and Opeoluwa Aladetola.

By Henry Ojelu

It’s a sad reflection of falling ethical standards—Edun, SAN

Kunle Edun in his commentary, raised alarm over what he describes as a dangerous mix of competent individuals, questionable figures and outright jokers.

The former Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Welfare Secretary warned that appointing people alleged to have integrity issues, weak credentials or partisan motivations undermines Nigeria’s global standing.
He argues that the President’s list does not represent the country’s best and urges the Senate to reject nominees who lack merit, though he doubts the Senate will do so given its recent confirmation history.
He said: “The list of ambassadorial nominees forwarded to the Senate by President Tinubu is one of mixed feelings. It may arguably be said to be a list of the good, the bad and jokers. A country like Nigeria, the largest black nation on earth should always put its best forward to man our foreign missions. The quality of a country’s foreign representatives speaks volume of the priorities of the country and what it represents.

“If we have a list that includes mediocres and comedians as ambassadorial nominees, it becomes a sad reflection of what we are; the falling standards of our ethical and value system; it is a confirmed replacement of merit and competence with mediocrity and cronyism as directing principles of State policies.

“Some persons in the list have been alleged to be involved in looting public funds while others have serious integrity and character issues, which no serious foreign country will consider as persons of impeccable character. A quick search on the internet will reveal the true character of most of the nominees and I can say that they are not something we can celebrate.

“When politicians populate sensitive public offices like Ambassadors and High Commissioners with themselves, their children and partisan supporters who lack the requisite experience, it diminishes our status in the country the ‘ambassadors’ are posted to. They will see us as an unserious nation.

“The President ought to have done better in compiling the list. There are far better Nigerians whose patriotism is not based on partisan loyalty to any political party or political godfather. I urge the Senate to interrogate the list properly and remove the names that have no business representing Nigeria, to save Nigeria from international embarrassment. Would the Senate yield to my admonition?

“Considering the way the current Senate has quickly approved similar recommendations regarding Ministerial nominees who obviously had security and integrity issues, I will not be disappointed if the Senate passes a Resolution approving the entire list. The shame will be on all of us Nigerians if the list sails through as it is.”

Its political compensation, not service—Oshoma

Liborous Oshoma criticised the inclusion of former governors and political loyalists, calling the list another example of patronage overshadowing competence. He argues that appointing persons with integrity issues or those facing allegations, just to reward political support, damages Nigeria’s credibility. He also warns that political families dominating the list gives the impression of an emerging hereditary political class.

He said: “Whilst it would have ordinarily been a day of celebration for the career diplomats who have served and waited for a day like this to deploy their expertise in the service of the country through diplomatic missions, the inclusion of failed former governors and political sycophants on the list completely takes away the shine.

“Nigeria security is currently at a crossroads and voices of concern and condemnation, genuinely or pretentiously, are rising at the international community now that the country need men and women of integrity who would be able speak up for us at diplomatic fora and also paint a clear picture to the President.

Our government is cloaking people who should either be investigated or in prison, with diplomatic ambassadorial immunity to represent us globally. I call it ambassadorial sycophancy because the list didn’t come to some of us as a surprise.

What is the business of the former Governors of Enugu and Abia states on the list apart from the fact that they were wearing Aso-Ebi and dancing azonto with Wike during the campaign? We all know that appointment in Nigeria is not for work but for compensation and chopping and the list is a reflection of that.

“Remember when Seun Onigbinde was appointed as SA to the then Minister of State for Budget, APC supporters shouted foul that government was compensating critics of government with chopping. Even the current Minister for Communication Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani had to apologise on the floor of the Senate for his criticism of President Tinubu during campaign before he was allowed to come on board.

“For some of the people, the only qualification for making that list is that they were once critics of President Tinubu and swore never to work with him until they were called to join the table and now they are supporters of anything Tinubu. President Tinubu didn’t need to have waited this long before creating this ambassadorial food for the boys.

“We are back to the Abacha days of arrogant diplomats where persons with short fuse temper are to represent Nigeria in her diplomatic missions. Looking at the list of wives and children of politicians also makes the list look a bit compensatory than service and it gives an impression of a hereditary system of government where parents who are in government automatically create chances for their children to also get into government.”

Its reward for criminality—Inibehe

Human rights lawyer, Effiong Inibehe describes the list as a “travesty,” arguing that many nominees are the same political actors responsible for Nigeria’s governance failures. He especially criticised the nomination of former INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, whom he accuses of overseeing a disputed election. Inibehe warned that a nation’s ambassadors signal its values, and Tinubu’s list sends the wrong message.

He said: “President Tinubu’s ambassadorial list has reinforced the painful fact that we live in a country that constantly rewards criminality and misdeeds. Those who have contributed to Nigeria’s destruction are largely the ones nominated to be the image and voice of our country abroad.

“It is a travesty. The quality of a country’s ambassador is an indication of the country’s direction.

Most of the names on the list are career politicians who have failed to deliver in their previous roles, sycophants, and morally challenged individuals. I find it particularly upsetting, that the same discredited Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, who supervised a highly disputed and rigged election in 2023, has now been rewarded with an ambassadorial position. No country on earth has prospered through a shambolic, corrupt and discredited leadership recruitment process.”

Full security vetting must guide confirmation process—Ufeli

Executive Director of Cadrell Advocacy Centre, Evans Ufeli harped on constitutional procedure and the need for transparency, security clearance and conflict-of-interest checks. He assessed several nominees individually, noting gaps in diplomatic competence.

He said: “The Constitution vests the appointment power in the President subject to Senate confirmation; therefore transparency, full vetting and public Senate hearings are indispensable. Appointees must satisfy security-clearance and conflict-of-interest checks and must not hold incompatible public offices. The Senate’s robust scrutiny is essential to preserve institutional legitimacy.

“Merit ought to be measured by diplomatic experience, knowledge of the host country/region, language skills, trade and investment acumen, and capacity to protect nationals abroad. By that yardstick, some nominees raise questions.

“Reno Omokri; a social commentator with no evident diplomatic career or institutional foreign-policy experience. His polarising public style risks politicising postings and could impede nuanced statecraft.
“Okezie Ikpeazu; a former governor with executive experience that may translate to representational duties, but the absence of proven foreign-policy expertise or diplomatic training invites concern that the appointment is reward-based rather than strategically driven.

“Mahmood Yakubu; an administrator with public-service credentials; his managerial capacity can be an asset in specific postings (democracy/donor engagement). Yet his background is electoral management rather than diplomacy, so it must be assessed against the particular mission.”

Senate must stop rubber-stamp confirmations—Ojo

Constitutional lawyer, Gbenga Ojo while appraising the nominees’ list warned that public distrust in the legislature is high because of its tendency to endorse executive nominees without serious scrutiny. He stated that the Senate must thoroughly vet each nominee, especially those who appear to be enjoying political patronage. The law lecturer also highlights Nigeria’s weakened diplomatic capacity, citing the delayed appointment of an ambassador to the United States.

He said: “Key to the appointments is the Senate. This is the time that the Senate has to properly and seriously screen the nominees. Some of them appear to get benefit of patronage or praise singing of the President like this former Adviser to President Jonathan. Except for few, most Nigerians may not know the nominees. It is really our representatives that we trust will conduct proper screening and select the best and those that are not fit should be rejected. At least they rejected the nomination of Mallam El Rufai.

“In addition, the media has role to play. They are the watch dogs of the society. They have to put the Senators under tremendous pressure to do a good job. Nigerians do not trust the Senate, which has been acting as extension of the Executive and just to stamp what the Executives put before them. We cannot over emphasis that we need experience and seasoned diplomats to represent the country.

Senate must play critical role—Aladetola

On his part, Ope Aladetola said: “While the President has acted within Section 171 of the Constitution by forwarding the list to the Senate, constitutional compliance is only the baseline. The real test lies in whether the nominees can advance Nigeria’s long-term diplomatic and strategic interests.

“Diplomacy demands professionalism, global exposure, and integrity, and concerns have arisen over nominees with politically contentious backgrounds. When appointments appear driven by patronage rather than merit, public confidence and Nigeria’s credibility abroad may suffer.

“With foreign missions left without substantive leadership since 2023, these appointments offer a chance to reset Nigeria’s global engagement. But success hinges on the calibre of those selected. Nigeria’s complex foreign-policy needs require competent, credible envoys. The Senate must now ensure that only individuals aligned with national interest are confirmed.”

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