ADC Says Ambassadorial Postings Evidence Of Tinubu’s Incompetence

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described the ambassadorial postings announced by the administration of President Bola Tinubu as a diplomatic blunder and an evidence of the government’s incompetence.

In a statement issued on Friday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the public announcement of ambassadorial postings before obtaining the required consent of host countries contravenes established diplomatic protocol and exposes Nigeria to potential embarrassment.

According to the party, the development runs contrary to provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which stipulates that a sending state must first obtain the consent known as agrément of the receiving country before officially appointing or announcing a head of mission.

Abdullahi said the procedure is a foundational principle of international diplomacy and is usually handled discreetly through diplomatic channels to prevent possible rejection and embarrassment for the sending country.

“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,” the statement said.

“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.”

The party argued that the process is normally conducted behind the scenes to allow host countries carry out due diligence on nominees before their appointments are made public.

It also recalled what it described as a similar diplomatic misstep last year when postings to the United Kingdom, the United States and France were announced prematurely, including the dispatch of what it called an “unscreened ambassador” to Turkey.

The ADC also questioned why only 65 ambassadors were announced despite Nigeria maintaining about 109 diplomatic missions worldwide.

According to the party, the government’s silence on the remaining 44 missions raises concerns about Nigeria’s diplomatic strategy and whether those positions would remain vacant.

“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?” the statement queried.

The party also raised concerns over the government’s silence regarding Nigeria’s mission to the United States adding that with about 449 days left in office, the administration risks weakening Nigeria’s voice in global diplomacy if the situation remains unresolved.