Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withdraw the list of 65 ambassadorial nominees recently sent to the Senate. According to him, the list violates the federal character principle and does not meet constitutional requirements for fair representation across states and geopolitical zones.
Ndume, a former Senate Leader and member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the nomination list should be replaced before next week’s Senate screening. He made the statement in Abuja on Saturday, December 6, 2025.
He warned that, at a time like this, the president must avoid actions capable of fuelling ethnic tension or public distrust. “I appeal to him to withdraw the list and present a fresh set of nominees that align with the spirit of the Constitution,” he said.
Ndume pointed out that while some states received as many as three or four slots, others — including Gombe State — got none. He added that Yobe State’s only nominee, Senator Adamu Garba Talba, died in July, yet his name still appeared on the list. He further noted that the entire North-East got only seven slots.
He also highlighted the distribution across zones: South-West (15 nominees), North-West (13), South-East (9), North-Central (10), and South-South (12).
President Tinubu had earlier forwarded the nominee list to the Senate for screening and confirmation. Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the list to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for processing.
In an earlier development, Tinubu sent another batch of 32 ambassadorial nominees — including high-profile figures such as Reno Omokri and Femi Fani-Kayode — to the Senate. These nominees were expected to be posted to key countries and international organisations pending Senate approval.
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