Ahead of Senate screening of ambassadorial nominees submitted by the Presidency, Senator Ali Ndume has called on President Bola Tinubu to withdraw the list, citing violations of the federal character principle enshrined in the Constitution.
Ndume, who represents Borno South and is a former Senate Leader, argued in a statement on Saturday that the nominations contravened Section 14(3) of the Nigerian Constitution, which requires government appointments to reflect Nigeria’s diversity and promote national unity.
“My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list,” he said. “At this critical time in the life of his administration, he should avoid missteps that could endanger national unity and promote ethnic distrust.” He added that Tinubu, whom he described as a cosmopolitan leader, should present a fresh set of nominees that align with the federal character principle.
Checks revealed uneven representation across states and regions: while some states have three or four nominees, others such as Gombe have none. The North-East has seven nominees, the South-West 15, the North-West 13, the South-East 9, the North-Central 10, and the South-South 12.
Ndume, a former Chief Whip of the Senate, warned that ignoring constitutional provisions could fuel ethnic tension and deepen distrust. The Senate President had earlier read the list at plenary and referred it to the Committee on Foreign Affairs for legislative review.