Ambassadorial List Populated By People With Integrity Deficit -PDP, Urges Withdrawal
By Sunday Etuka
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly condemned the list of Ambassadorial nominees as submitted by President Bola Tinubu, saying that the list was populated by people known for their integrity deficit and notable anti-democratic activities.
In a statement on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party said the development was not just a sad commentary on the nation’s history of diplomatic representation, but very reprehensible and scandalous.
PDP said while most Nigerians are seriously appalled by the inclusion of most of the nominees, they are not totally surprised, given the history and disposition of this administration.
“It is an incontestable fact that a nominee is a clear and direct reflection of the values and estimation of the nominator. By making these nominations, the President has shown Nigerians that these are the best people he has to represent our country in the countries where they will be posted.
“That it took the President almost three years to produce this list speaks to the paucity of excellent people within his reach,” the party noted.
Specifically, PDP said it conveys the disappointment of many right-thinking Nigerians on the nomination of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate-past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), whose administration of the nation’s electoral umpire was characterised by countless double-speaks, flip-flops, and undelivered promises, which ultimately resulted in the birth of this administration, which is struggling in all areas of governance.
Noting that to offer him an ambassadorial appointment at a time like this was an excellent exemplar of a skewed reward system, which it suspects was designed as an incentive to the new INEC Chairman, to also deliver flawed elections in 2027, in expectation of future rewards.
“This is absolutely scandalous and completely unacceptable,” the party noted.
“May we remind the President and all Nigerians that the respect a country gets from other countries cannot be separated from the integrity profile and public perception of both the President and the Ambassadors. So, appointing and sending ambassadors with tainted political profiles is not only a great disservice to Nigeria but a setup for a diplomatic all-time low.
“To this end, we demand that President Bola Tinubu withdraw the said list and renominate only those with stellar democratic credentials and high moral standing, capable of commanding global respect for the ambassadorial assignments,” PDP submitted.
