Baba-Ahmed urges Senate to subject Tinubu’s ambassadorial nominees to rigorous vetting
Former Presidential Adviser on Political Matters, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has called on the National Assembly to undertake a thorough and uncompromising review of President Bola Tinubu’s latest batch of ambassadorial nominees, warning that several of the names put forward require deeper scrutiny.
Speaking on Sunday Politics, a Channels Television programme, the political analyst said the Senate must prioritise integrity and national interest as it evaluates the 32 individuals nominated for diplomatic postings.
Baba-Ahmed noted that some of the nominees have been trailed by allegations or unresolved controversies, insisting that the screening process must go beyond routine confirmation.
“There are nominees whose public records and ongoing issues demand a more detailed examination.
“If the President has chosen them, the least he can do now is allow the legislature to carry out its constitutional duty without interference.
”The Senate must probe their backgrounds thoroughly, ” he said.
He maintained that moral character should take precedence over political connections, ethnic considerations, or regional loyalties.
He emphasised that Nigeria’s foreign missions deserve credible representatives who could advance the country’s interests abroad.
He added that a rigorous vetting process would also reinforce President Tinubu’s pledges on accountability and transparency.
Baba-Ahmed, who resigned from the Presidency earlier this year over policy disagreements, also criticised the government for what he described as an avoidable delay in constituting Nigeria’s diplomatic corps.
According to him, the administration should have produced the ambassadorial list much earlier in its tenure.
“It is difficult to justify waiting nearly two years,” he said. “Many outgoing ambassadors now have barely over a year left to serve, which is far from ideal for effective diplomatic engagement.
”We have repeatedly stressed the need for timely appointments, but the government hesitated.”
President Tinubu’s list, released over the weekend, features 32 individuals, including prominent political figures and former public office holders.
Among them are former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, ex-INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, and former presidential aide Reno Omokri.
Other nominees include ex-Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, former Lagos Deputy Governor Femi Pedro, Ondo lawmaker and businessman Jimoh Ibrahim, former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo, and former Adamawa Senator Grace Bent.
The President has requested that the Senate confirm 15 of the nominees as career diplomats and 17 as non-career ambassadors.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga stated that the nominees will be deployed to countries with which Nigeria maintains major diplomatic and economic relations.
These include China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the UAE, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as key international organisations such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.
This new list followed a separate submission of three names earlier earmarked for the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.
The nominations have already drawn criticism from opposition parties, including the PDP and ADC, which questioned the inclusion of former INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, citing concerns over his past stewardship of the electoral body.
The Senate is expected to begin the confirmation process in the coming days.
