The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s new list of ambassadorial nominees, accusing the President of compiling a political “I owe You” list filled with loyalists rather than professionals.
The party raised strong objections to the nomination of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Yakubu supervised the 2023 presidential election that produced Tinubu.
The ADC said his appearance on the list, only two years after that election, fuels suspicion that he was never a neutral umpire.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said INEC was still struggling with public trust. Tl
The party warned that Yakubu’s nomination sends a “dangerous message” at a time when the commission needs credibility more than ever.
The ADC urged Professor Yakubu to reject what it described as a “brazenly insensitive” offer. It also urged the Senate to throw out the nomination to help restore confidence in the nation’s electoral process.
The party accused Tinubu of ignoring Nigeria’s foreign policy crisis.
“After waiting for more than two years, President Tinubu presents an outrageously underwhelming ambassadorial list designed to settle political IOUs,” the statement read.
It added that Nigeria needs a disciplined diplomatic corps capable of repairing its damaged global image, not a list packed with “political jobbers, corruption suspects, and relatives of political associates.”
The ADC said the most troubling part of the list was the inclusion of Prof. Yakubu.
The party argued that sending the former INEC chairman abroad would cast deeper doubts on the 2023 election and widen distrust in the electoral system.
In a separate reaction, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) also criticised the nomination list.
The group described the nominees as sycophants, ethically compromised individuals, and politicians lacking integrity.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, accused President Tinubu of wasting two and a half years searching for diplomats only to select “politically displaced individuals, praise-singers, and ethically challenged men.”
He said it was immoral for the President to convert ambassadorial roles into compensation for political allies.
The rights group claimed individuals such as Femi Fani-Kayode and Reno Omokri were rewarded for attacking opposition figures, especially Labour Party’s Peter Obi.
HURIWA said Omokri once criticised Tinubu harshly during the 2023 campaign, only to switch sides after allegedly receiving financial inducement.
The controversy has fueled wider debate about Tinubu’s diplomatic strategy and Nigeria’s global image.
Many critics say the list reflects patronage, not competence. Supporters, however, argue that the President has the right to choose trusted allies.
The Senate is expected to screen the nominees in the coming days.