Ndume rejects ambassadorial nominee list, urges Tinubu to reconsider submission
Amid preparations for the Senate’s screening of new ambassadorial nominees, Senator Ali Ndume has called on President Bola Tinubu to withdraw the list sent to the upper chamber, insisting that its composition violates Nigeria’s federal character requirements.
Ndume, who represents Borno South, issued a statement on Saturday accusing the Presidency of sidelining constitutional safeguards designed to ensure equitable representation across the country.
The former Senate Leader argued that the nominees fall short of the expectations outlined in Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates that appointments to federal institutions must reflect Nigeria’s ethnic and regional diversity.
According to the senator, the imbalance in representation poses a threat to national cohesion. He warned that the administration should avoid decisions capable of fuelling ethnic tension or undermining trust among Nigeria’s diverse communities.
“My honest plea to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list
“At this sensitive stage of his government, he must steer clear of actions that could trigger disunity or send the wrong message.
”I know him as a leader who embraces all parts of the country, and I urge him to submit a fresh list that aligns with the spirit of the federal character principle, ” he said.
He added that the President must remain attentive, especially at a time when “negative narratives” from abroad misrepresent the government’s intentions.
The senator quoted Section 14(3), which emphasises that no part of the country should dominate government structures or agencies. He argued that the current nominee spread contradicts this requirement.
Preliminary checks on the nominee list revealed that some states have as many as three or four candidates, while others—such as Gombe—have none. Across geopolitical zones, the numbers are equally uneven with South-West leading with 15 nominees, North-West: 13; and South-South: 12. North Central: 10; South-East: 9 and North-East: 7
The Senate President had formally read out the names during Thursday’s plenary and referred the list to the Committee on Foreign Affairs for further legislative scrutiny.
With the screening process expected to begin soon, Ndume’s intervention signals potential pushback within the legislature and adds to growing public debate over fairness in federal appointments.
