Senator Ali Ndume urges President Tinubu to withdraw the new ambassadorial nominee list, alleging violations of the federal character principle and uneven state representation
Ndume Faults Tinubu’s Ambassadorial Nominees, Says List Violates Federal Character
Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, has criticised the latest list of ambassadorial nominees submitted to the Senate by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, arguing that the selection breaches the federal character principle enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
Ndume, a senior member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said the distribution of nominees does not reflect Nigeria’s diversity, warning that such imbalance undermines national unity.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the senator reminded the president of Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates fairness and equitable representation in federal appointments.
Quoting the section directly, he said, “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity… ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or sectional groups.”
President Tinubu recently transmitted 65 additional ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening—34 career ambassadors and 31 non-career ambassadors. The list, read on the floor by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, includes former governors, ex-lawmakers, a serving senator and other influential figures.
However, Ndume pointed to noticeable disparities in state and regional representation. Some states reportedly have three to four nominees, while Gombe State has none and Yobe State has only one.
A regional breakdown of the combined list shows South-West got 15 nominees, North-West: 13, South-East: 9, North-Central: 10, and South-South: 12.
Ndume warned that decisions perceived as lopsided could inflame ethnic tensions and erode public confidence in the fairness of government appointments.
He appealed to President Tinubu to revisit the list entirely, saying, “My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical time in the life of his administration, he should avoid missteps that could endanger national unity and promote ethnic distrust.”
The senator said he believes the president, whom he described as a “cosmopolitan leader,” would not knowingly sideline any part of the country. He urged him to submit a fresh list that aligns with the constitutional requirement for equitable representation across all geopolitical zones. Read More
