“Appoint Ambassadors Now to Save Nigeria from Further Foreign Policy Embarrassment” – ADC to President Tinubu

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued a scathing critique of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s prolonged delay in appointing ambassadors, warning that the failure is severely undermining Nigeria’s foreign policy and international reputation.

In a press statement released on Sunday, July 20, 2025, by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC declared that Nigeria is facing a diplomatic crisis due to the absence of properly accredited ambassadors in its foreign missions—two years after President Tinubu recalled all 109 ambassadors in 2023.

“This is the longest Nigeria has gone without ambassadors in our foreign missions. If this embarrassing absence continues, other countries may begin to downgrade Nigeria diplomatically—and our people will bear the brunt,” the party stated.

The ADC criticized the Tinubu administration’s apparent lack of urgency, warning that the current situation is creating diplomatic vacuums at a time when other nations are securing trade deals, forming strategic alliances, and advancing their global interests.

“While the rest of Africa asserts its presence in Washington, Beijing, and Moscow, Nigeria is stuck in neutral, unable even to introduce ourselves,” the party said.

The ADC pointed to the worsening visa and consular issues between Nigeria and countries like the United States and the United Arab Emirates as direct consequences of the diplomatic vacuum. It emphasized that junior diplomats and chargés d’affaires are not sufficient replacements for ambassadors, as they lack the full diplomatic authority, recognition, and access needed to effectively represent the country.

“This inexplicable failure of the government to appoint ambassadors has affected the quality of our relationships with host countries,” the statement read. “If action is not taken soon, those countries may also begin to downgrade their diplomatic representation in Nigeria.”

The party further accused the administration of prioritizing political patronage over governance, suggesting that ambassadorial appointments have been delayed because the government is more concerned with rewarding allies than advancing Nigeria’s foreign policy.

“While the Tinubu administration takes its sweet time to decide which cronies to reward with ambassadorial postings, Nigerians abroad—students, workers, and professionals—are left to suffer all manners of indignity.”

The ADC also condemned the government’s handling of the reported request by the United States to receive Venezuelan deportees, calling it a major example of the Tinubu administration’s diplomatic shortcomings. The party argued that, had Nigeria had an ambassador in Washington, the matter could have been handled discreetly and professionally.

“We are appalled that the Foreign Affairs Minister would choose to express Nigeria’s position on a sensitive issue during a prime-time TV show. Such matters should be handled through proper diplomatic channels—especially with a powerful partner like the United States.”

Concluding the statement, the ADC urged President Tinubu to immediately appoint ambassadors to salvage Nigeria’s diplomatic credibility and ensure Nigerians abroad receive the representation and protection they deserve.

“This is no time for delay. President Tinubu must appoint ambassadors now to save Nigeria from further foreign policy embarrassment.”