The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Tinubu for failing to appoint ambassadors nearly a year after recalling all 109 Nigerian envoys. The party described the lapse as disastrous for Nigeria’s global image and foreign relations.
ADC’s interim publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, lamented that junior diplomats and chargés d’affaires lack the authority and access needed to protect Nigeria’s interests abroad. He cited worsening visa and consular issues with the U.S. and UAE as fallout of the ongoing diplomatic gap.
The party also flayed Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar for making insensitive remarks on U.S. plans to deport Venezuelan prisoners, warning that such reckless public statements could have been avoided with a functional ambassador in Washington.
Abdullahi said the Tinubu government appears more concerned with optics than substance, adding, “Nigeria is gradually becoming invisible in global decision-making rooms.”
He urged the president to act fast or risk further downgrades from host countries. “If others begin to return our snub by limiting their representation in Nigeria, the damage to our diplomatic posture will be grave,” the ADC warned.
