Tinubu Administration To Submit Ambassadorial List Amid Controversy As Political Appointees Go To Europe, Asia; Career Diplomats Stay In Africa

The plan, however, has already stirred controversy.

President Bola Tinubu’s administration is preparing to send a new list of ambassadorial nominees to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for processing next week.

The plan, however, has already stirred controversy.

Government sources indicate that the State House is expected to send the list of ambassadorial designations to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs next week

Meanwhile, according to insiders, 95 percent of career ambassadors are being posted to African countries, while non-career political appointees are being assigned to Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas. 

Critics within the diplomatic community describe this as a “dumb idea,” arguing that at a time when Nigeria is under scrutiny from the United States President Donald Trump and global flashpoints are boiling, the country should be deploying its most seasoned diplomats to strategic locations where national interests are most at stake.

What a dumb idea for President Bola Tinubu’s government to send 95% of career ambassadors to African countries and all non-career political ambassadors to Europe, Asia, Middle East, North and South America,” a top government source said.

“At a time when Nigeria is under the eyes of President Trump and global flashpoints are boiling, is this not the moment to send well-trained and seasoned diplomats to promote and protect our valued national interests in strategic locations?”

Instead, they say, the administration appears to be sidelining professional diplomats and prioritising political allies.

The names of two prominent supporters of the Tinubu administration are missing from the list exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters: former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode and former Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri.

However, sources told SaharaReporters that Omokri may be nominated for Spain and Fani-Kayode for Germany, once the list is formally processed.

“They have yet to send the list, but there are rumours that Reno Omokri may be assigned to Spain, while Femi Fani-Kayode could be posted to Germany,” a source said.

The insiders emphasised that the perceived politicisation of ambassadorial appointments has fuelled resentment among career diplomats, raising questions about the administration’s commitment to merit-based foreign service and its broader diplomatic strategy.

According to sources, career ambassadors are upset, feeling that their expertise is being wasted in less critical postings while political figures are rewarded with high-profile assignments. 

“Diplomacy has never been the focus of this Tinubu Administration,” one source said, noting that the timing is particularly poor given Nigeria’s heightened visibility on the global stage and the importance of placing seasoned diplomats in strategic locations to protect national interests.

However, when SaharaReporters contacted Ogbole Amedu Ode, a former ambassador to Mexico and Singapore, for his reaction to the controversy, he maintained that the appointment of ambassadors is ultimately the prerogative of the President.

“These people are appointed based on the recommendation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The President has that prerogative, and he would have all the information about their background, their capacity, and their capabilities,” he said.

“If Mr President thinks Mr A should go to country B to represent him, actually, he has his reasons and he knows why he is considering him for country B.”

“But is there this thing that is normally already designed? It is called station charter. It contains all those things you want a particular ambassador to achieve within a specific time. And on the issue that most of our career ambassadors are going to African countries. That should be because Africa is the centrepiece of our foreign policy,” he added.

Available List

Amb. Odumah Yvonne Ehinosen – Malabo, Equatorial Guinea

Amb. Nwabiola Ezenwa Chukwumeka – Ivory Coast, Côte d'Ivoire

Besto Maimuna Ibrahim – Niamey, Niger

Monica Okwuchukwu Enebechi – Sao Tome, STP

Amb. Mohammed Mahmud Lele – Algiers, Algeria

Endoni Syndoph Paebi – Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Ahmed Mohammed Monguno – Cairo, Egypt

Amb. Jane Adams (nee Okon) Michael (F) – Kingston, Jamaica

Amb. Clark-Omeru Alexandra (F) – Lusaka, Zambia

Chima Geoffrey Lioma David – Bamako, Mali

Amb. Wasa Segun Ige – Beirut, Lebanon

Amb. Ayeni Adebayo Emmanuel – Rome, Italy

Amb. Onaga Ogechukwu Kinsley – Maputo, Mozambique

Amb. Magaji Umar – Kinshasa, DR Congo

Amb. Muhammad Saidu Dahiru – New Delhi, India

Amb. Abdussalam Habu Zayyad – Dakar, Senegal

Amb. Shehu Ilu Barde – Accra, Ghana

Amb. Aminu Nasir – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abubakar Musa Musa – N’Djamena, Chad

Amb. Haidara Mohammed Idris – The Hague, Netherlands

Amb. Bako Adamu Umar – Rabat, Morocco

Amb. Sulu Gambari Olatunji Ahmed – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Amb. Romata Mohammed Omobolanle (F) – Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Amb. Shaga John Shamah – Gaborone, Botswana

Sallau, Hamza Mohammed – Tehran, Iran

Amb. Ibrahim Danlami – Nairobi, Kenya

Ibrahim Adeola Mopelola (F) – Cotonou, Benin

Ruben Abimbola Samuel (F) – Brussels, Belgium

Amb. Akande Wahab Adekola – Berne, Switzerland

Amb. Arewa (nee Adedokun) Esther (F) – Windhoek, Namibia

Amb. Gergadi Joseph John – Libreville, Gabon

Amb. Luther Ogbomode Ayo-Kalata (F) – Freetown, Sierra Leone

Danladi Yakubu Nyaku – Khartoum, Sudan

Bello Dogon-Daji Haliru – Bangkok, Thailand