Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has called on President Bola Tinubu to retract the recently submitted ambassadorial nominees list, insisting it violates Nigeria’s Federal Character principle.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, Ndume said his concern arose from noticeable regional imbalance in the distribution of nominees.
According to him, while some states have as many as three or four candidates represented, states like Gombe have none.
He also pointed out that the sole nominee from Yobe State, Senator Adamu Garba Talba, passed away in July, leaving the state unrepresented.
Further analysis of the list revealed that the Northeast has only seven nominees, whereas the Southwest boasts fifteen.
The Northwest and Southeast have thirteen and nine respectively, while the North Central has ten and the South South twelve nominees among both career and non-career categories.
The Senate President had earlier read out the list during plenary and forwarded it to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for legislative scrutiny.
Ndume, who represents Borno South, argued that the composition breaches Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates inclusivity and equitable representation in the structure of government.
Ndume said, “My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical time in the life of his administration, he should avoid missteps that would endanger national unity and promote ethnic distrust.
“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholder in the country.
“He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on the Federal Character Principle that the government’s structure and operations must represent the diverse states and peoples of Nigeria.”
