The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued a stern warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing his administration of endangering Nigeria’s foreign relations through its continued failure to appoint ambassadors to foreign missions.
In a statement on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the situation as the “longest diplomatic vacuum in Nigeria’s recent history,” lamenting that the country has had no accredited ambassadors in any foreign mission since 2023.
“This embarrassing lapse is already damaging Nigeria’s global standing and exposing our citizens abroad to undue hardship,” Abdullahi said.
The party recalled that in 2023, President Tinubu recalled Nigeria’s 109 ambassadors from across the world, but has since failed to replace any of them. According to the ADC, this has left Nigeria voiceless in crucial diplomatic spaces where major decisions affecting the country and its citizens are made.
“This administration’s inaction reflects not only a lack of ambition but also a troubling ignorance of what it takes to run a country of Nigeria’s stature,” the statement read.
The ADC pointed to the deteriorating consular relationships with countries like the United States and the United Arab Emirates, warning that junior diplomats and chargé d’affaires lack the status and access necessary to represent Nigeria effectively.
“If this vacuum continues, host countries may begin to downgrade their diplomatic presence in Nigeria in protest. At a time when we should be advancing economic diplomacy, we are retreating,” Abdullahi warned.
He further criticised the government’s sluggishness in promoting foreign policy and economic interests abroad, while other African nations forge ahead in global capitals.
“While the rest of Africa is seated at the table in Washington, Beijing, and Moscow, Nigeria can’t even introduce herself. We are not in the room because we have no one to speak for us,” he added.
The ADC condemned what it called the politicisation of ambassadorial appointments, accusing the Tinubu administration of “delaying the process in order to reward cronies” at the expense of national interest.
On recent tensions surrounding the U.S. request for Nigeria to receive deported Venezuelans, the ADC criticised the Tinubu government’s public handling of the matter.
“Even though we support the government’s stance, we are alarmed by the recklessness with which the Foreign Affairs Minister went on national TV to discuss such a sensitive issue involving a powerful partner like the United States. This would never have happened if we had a competent ambassador in Washington,” the party said.
The ADC concluded by urging President Tinubu to urgently appoint ambassadors and restore Nigeria’s diplomatic credibility. “Enough of the foreign policy blunders. The time to act is now,” the statement said.
