The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu of breaching diplomatic protocol in the announcement of newly posted ambassadors.
In a statement issued on Friday, the opposition party described the move as a “diplomatic blunder” and evidence of what it called the government’s incompetence in handling international relations.
The statement, signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, argued that announcing ambassadorial postings before securing the required approval—known as agrément—from host countries violates established diplomatic procedures.
According to the ADC, international diplomatic practice under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations requires a sending country to obtain the consent of the receiving state before officially announcing an ambassador.
Citing Article 4 of the convention, Abdullahi said the Tinubu administration appeared to have reversed the proper process.
“After spending nearly three years in office, and even three months after the Senate confirmed the ambassadorial nominees, the latest announcement from the State House appears to have reversed the proper order of things and reflects the administration’s failure to understand the fundamental procedures guiding diplomatic relations,” he said.
Abdullahi explained that requests for agrément are usually handled quietly through diplomatic channels to prevent embarrassment if a host country rejects a nominee.
“You cannot announce postings and say in the same statement that you are just requesting agreement. By announcing appointments and then seeking consent, it suggests that the government does not understand the proper procedure,” he added.
The party warned that such actions could expose Nigeria to diplomatic embarrassment, since receiving countries reserve the right to accept or reject ambassadorial nominees after conducting their own background checks.
ADC also recalled what it described as a similar mistake last year when postings to key countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States and France, were announced prematurely. The party further referenced the alleged dispatch of an unscreened ambassador to Turkey, insisting the government should have learned from previous errors.
Beyond the procedural concerns, the party questioned why it took more than three months after the Senate confirmed the nominees before the government moved to request agrément from host nations.
ADC also expressed concern over what it described as an incomplete ambassadorial list. According to the party, Nigeria maintains about 109 diplomatic missions worldwide, yet only 65 ambassadors have been announced.
The party queried the fate of the remaining 44 missions and warned that leaving many posts vacant could weaken Nigeria’s diplomatic presence globally.
“With only about 449 days left in office, the country risks being poorly represented internationally if the situation is not urgently addressed,” Abdullahi said.
He added that the situation could undermine Nigeria’s ability to participate effectively in global governance at a time of increasing international challenges.
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