May 28, (THEWILL) – Political analyst, Mr. Musa Yakubu, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s prolonged delay in appointing ambassadors, describing it as a clear indication of the administration’s lack of foreign policy direction.
Yakubu made the remarks while speaking to journalists on Wednesday in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.
THEWILL recalls that in August 2023, President Tinubu ordered the recall of 109 Nigerian envoys across 77 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates. Nearly a year later, no new ambassadors have been appointed, raising concerns over the country’s diplomatic capacity and global representation.
Yakubu decried the situation, noting that the absence of ambassadors has weakened Nigeria’s international presence and undermined its foreign policy objectives.
“The appointment of ambassadors is not a luxury; it is a constitutional obligation and an essential aspect of international diplomacy, as outlined in instruments like the Vienna Convention,” he said.
He added that with the Tinubu administration about to mark two years in office, the continued vacuum at Nigerian foreign missions was both “embarrassing and unprecedented.”
“How can you allow all 109 foreign missions to operate without substantive ambassadors for this long? Who is protecting Nigeria’s interests abroad? It is simply unthinkable,” Yakubu said.
He stressed that ambassadors serve as more than ceremonial figures, noting their critical role in advancing bilateral relations, trade negotiations, and security cooperation.
Yakubu also warned that the opposition was closely monitoring what he described as the administration’s diplomatic lapses and would not hesitate to use them as a campaign issue in the future.
He called on President Tinubu to immediately address the leadership vacuum in Nigeria’s diplomatic missions, saying the failure to do so poses long-term risks to the country’s foreign interests.
“The President must act without delay to ensure that Nigeria is properly represented on the global stage and that the welfare of Nigerians abroad is safeguarded,” he added.
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