The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been accused by the federal government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of causing fictitious political alarms about President Bola Tinubu’s delays in selecting ambassadors for the nation.
Alkasim Abdulkadir, the Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to Yusuf Tuggar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated in a statement that the government would not be forced to make rash decisions about ambassadorial appointments by politically ignorant actors.
According to reports, the statement is a direct response to the ADC’s prior criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration for failing to designate ambassadors to Nigeria’s overseas embassies.
The ADC called the development “embarrassing” in a statement released on Sunday by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s interim national publicity secretary.
In contrast to the ADC’s assertions, Nigeria’s diplomatic missions are still fully functional and successfully represented by seasoned foreign service officials, including seasoned chargés d’affaires, according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The ADC is uninformed about Nigeria’s foreign policy, it continued, adding that ambassadors will not be appointed hastily for political reasons.
“The recent ADC statement about Nigeria’s foreign representation and the speed of ambassadorial appointments under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is categorically denied by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to the statement, “The Ministry views the ADC’s statements as alarmist, politically driven, and essentially misinformed about the operational realities of international diplomacy.”
According to the Ministry, President Tinubu is striving to guarantee that future postings are motivated by merit, competence, national interest, and strategic alignment in accordance with his Renewed Hope Agenda. Ambassadorial appointments are a sovereign prerogative.
It stated that Nigeria’s strong worldwide presence is demonstrated by its recent diplomatic initiatives under the direction of Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Maitama Tuggar and its involvement in organizations like BRICS, the African Union, and ECOWAS.
Nigeria’s strong overseas relations are demonstrated by the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs’ recent high-level engagements.
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“Appointing ambassadors is a sovereign prerogative; it should not be hurried for partisan appeasement or political expediency. In keeping with his Renewed Hope Agenda, President Tinubu is dedicated to changing the foreign service structure so that future postings are motivated by competence, national interest, merit, and strategic alignment rather than expediency or favoritism.
The statement went on to say, “Nigeria is neither silent nor inactive in international affairs.”
Deportees from Venezuela
Regarding Nigeria’s reaction to the reported U.S. proposal to deport Venezuelan prisoners to Nigeria and other African nations, the Ministry also denied criticism.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry insisted that such communication must be clear and is a characteristic of modern diplomacy, despite the ADC’s labeling of Tuggar’s reaction in a TV interview as diplomatically irresponsible.
It warned the ADC against exaggerating diplomatic problems in order to gain political influence.
Nigeria responded in a way that was transparent, moral, and in line with its sovereign rights. The idea that the Foreign Minister made a diplomatic blunder by publicly stating Nigeria’s stance ignores the realities of contemporary diplomacy, where openness and responsible communication are becoming more and more important.
Political opportunism and a lack of knowledge about foreign policy procedures are evident in the ADC’s remarks. Partisan attacks must not be launched through diplomacy. Sensationalism and domestic political point-scoring are too important to damage Nigeria’s reputation abroad, the Ministry said.
