The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Tinubu administration of committing a major diplomatic error with its recent announcement of ambassadorial postings, describing the move as a sign of incompetence and disregard for established international protocol.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said publicly declaring ambassadorial assignments before securing the consent of host countries violates standard diplomatic procedures under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and could expose Nigeria to unnecessary embarrassment on the global stage.
According to the ADC, the announcement suggests that the government is unfamiliar with the basic requirements of diplomatic engagement, particularly the process of obtaining agrément—the formal consent from a receiving country before the appointment of an ambassador is made public.
“After nearly three years in office, and three months after the Senate confirmation of the ambassadors, today’s announcement by the State House puts the cart before the horse and demonstrates the Tinubu administration’s inability to grasp the basic protocol of diplomatic relations,” the statement said.
The party stressed that international diplomatic practice requires the sending state to quietly seek approval from the receiving country before any official declaration of an ambassadorial posting is made.
“Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, particularly Article 4, a sending state must first obtain the consent, known as agrément, of the receiving state before officially appointing or announcing a head of mission. Requests for agrément are a foundational principle of international diplomacy and are normally done through diplomatic channels.
“By announcing appointments and then requesting consent, it indicates that the government does not know what it is doing. You cannot announce postings and say in the same statement that you are just requesting agrément. This absurdity becomes even more apparent when one considers that the receiving country reserves the right to accept or reject a nomination after conducting its due diligence. It is in order to save the sending country the embarrassment that a rejection may cause that the process is usually done behind the scenes. But this government does not get it.”
The ADC further noted that the administration appeared not to have learned from earlier diplomatic missteps, recalling that ambassadorial postings to the United Kingdom, the United States and France were similarly announced last year before the necessary procedures were completed.
The party also referenced the reported deployment of an ambassador to Turkey without proper screening, describing the pattern as evidence that the government prioritises political expediency over adherence to diplomatic norms.
“Characteristically, the Tinubu government appears more concerned with responding to political pressure than doing the right thing.
The question to ask is: why did it take the government more than three months after nominating these ambassadors before now requesting consent? We also note how conspicuously silent the government is on the US mission.”
Beyond the procedural concerns, the ADC raised questions about the limited number of ambassadorial postings announced so far. Nigeria maintains about 109 diplomatic missions worldwide, yet the government has only named 65 ambassadors.
“Equally troubling is the incomplete nature of the announcement itself. Nigeria maintains 109 diplomatic missions around the world, yet the government has only announced 65 ambassadors. What happens to the remaining 44 missions? Are those posts to remain vacant indefinitely while Nigeria’s diplomatic presence continues to shrink at a time of rising global uncertainty? Is Nigeria closing down or degrading these missions? What strategy would have informed this choice?”
The opposition party warned that with 449 days left in office, the Tinubu administration risks leaving Nigeria diplomatically weakened if the situation is not urgently addressed.
“The damage that would do to the country is indeed hard to contemplate,” the party said.