President Bola Tinubu has been urged by former Senate Leader Ali Ndume to remove the list of ambassadorial nominations that was just submitted to the Senate for review and confirmation.
According to reports, Ndume filed the appeal in Abuja on Thursday, expressing worries that the list goes against Nigeria’s Constitution’s Federal Character principle.
Ndume, speaking on behalf of Borno South, contended that the diversity mandated by Section 14(3) of the Nigerian Constitution, which requires that the makeup of governmental entities reflect the nation’s federal character, is not reflected in the existing composition of the ambassadorial nominations.
Ndume claims that there is an uneven distribution of nominees on the list, with certain states having more than one representation while others are excluded.
He noted that the Northeast, where Ndume is from, had only seven nominations, while states like the Southwest had fifteen, and Gombe State had none at all.
Ndume also emphasized the passing of Yobe State’s sole nominee, Senator Adamu Garba Talba, who died in July. According to him, this made the list even more unfair and prevented the state from being represented in the nominations.
Ndume emphasized that the ambassadorial list issue might weaken national cohesion and exacerbate ethnic tensions, making it more than merely a question of appearances. He pleaded with President Tinubu to reevaluate the nominees in an inclusive and equitable manner.
“The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in a manner that reflects the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of people from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies,” he stated.
“I humbly ask President Tinubu to remove this list. He should steer clear of mistakes that could jeopardize national unity and foster ethnic mistrust during this crucial period of his presidency.
“I am aware that he is a multicultural leader who is comfortable with all groups and stakeholders in the nation.
“He should remove that list and submit a new list of candidates who will be in line with the Federal Character Principle of the Constitution, which states that the government’s operations and structure must reflect the various states and peoples of Nigeria.”
