Federal Government Slams ADC, Denies Wrongdoing in Ambassadorial Appointments

Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the federal government has charged that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has sounded a false political alarm about President Bola Tinubu’s delays in selecting ambassadors for the nation.
Alkasim Abdulkadir, Yusuf Tuggar’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, stated in a statement that the government will not be forced to make rash decisions about ambassadorial appointments by politically astute individuals.
The remark reportedly follows the ADC’s prior criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration for failing to nominate ambassadors to Nigeria’s overseas missions.

Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, stated in a statement released on Sunday that the development is “embarrassing.”

Nigeria’s diplomatic missions are still fully operational and successfully represented by seasoned foreign service officers, including seasoned chargés d’affaires, according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, despite the ADC’s assertions to the contrary.

It further stated that the ADC lacks knowledge of Nigeria’s foreign policy and that ambassadors will not be appointed hastily for political reasons.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs vehemently disputes the ADC’s recent assertion about Nigeria’s international representation and the speed at which ambassadors are appointed under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.

The statement stated, “The Ministry believes that the ADC’s statements are alarmist, politically driven, and essentially inaccurate regarding the practicalities of international diplomacy.”

In keeping with his Renewed Hope Agenda, President Tinubu is striving to make sure that future postings are motivated by merit, competence, national interest, and strategic alignment, the Ministry further stated. Ambassadorial appointments are a sovereign prerogative.

It stated that recent diplomatic initiatives spearheaded by Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and involvement in organizations like ECOWAS, the African Union, and BRICS demonstrate Nigeria’s strong international presence.

“The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs’ recent high-level engagements show how strong Nigeria’s external connections are.

A sovereign function, the appointment of ambassadors should not be hurried for political expediency or partisan appeasement. President Tinubu is dedicated to changing the foreign service structure in accordance with his Renewed Hope Agenda so that future postings are motivated by competence, national interest, merit, and strategic alignment rather than expediency or favoritism.

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According to the statement, Nigeria is neither silent nor uninvolved in global events.

The Deportees of Venezuela
Additionally, the Ministry denied criticism of Nigeria’s reaction to the reported U.S. proposal to deport Venezuelan prisoners to Nigeria and other African nations.

Recall that Tuggar’s response in a television interview was described as diplomatically risky by the ADC. However, the Foreign Affairs Ministry insisted that such communication must be transparent and is a characteristic of contemporary diplomacy.

The ADC was warned not to exaggerate diplomatic matters in order to gain political influence.

Nigeria’s answer was unambiguous, morally sound, and in line with its sovereign rights. It ignores the reality of contemporary diplomacy, when openness and responsible communication are becoming more and more important, to argue that the Foreign Minister’s public expression of Nigeria’s stance was a diplomatic gaffe.

“The ADC’s remarks reveal a lack of knowledge about foreign policy procedures as well as political opportunism. The use of diplomacy as a means of partisan assault is unacceptable. The Ministry said, “Sensationalism and domestic political point-scoring are too valuable to damage Nigeria’s international reputation.”