The list of ambassadorial nominees submitted to the Federal Government must be thoroughly scrutinized before a final list is released.
He debunked a list making the rounds, describing it as “fake news.”
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, revealed this to The Punch
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE reports that the names of some ambassadorial nominees has been submitted to President Bola Tinubu for consideration and subsequent approval before posting to their designated foreign countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs divulged that it has since collated and forwarded the names of prospective diplomats to the President for consideration.
“We have collated everything on our part and forwarded it to Mr. President,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed to our correspondent before Monday’s Federal Executive Council meeting.
But Onanuga maintained that “There is no official list as of today. There is a list in circulation. That is fake news. The foreign affairs list will still go through certain processes before it is released.
“Don’t forget that the ambassadorial list has two components. There are career ambassadors and political ambassadors. So, whichever one they submitted, it will still go through a long process.”
Nigeria has 109 missions, 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates globally.
On September 2, 2023, President Tinubu recalled all career and non-career ambassadors operating the country’s diplomatic missions, embassies and consulates globally.
A statement by Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry explained that the recall of the ambassadors, was : “Sequel to the inquiries on the letter recalling the Nigerian ambassador to the UK.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has explained that all career and non-career diplomats have been recalled on the orders of the President.
The envoys were directed to return to the country on or before October 31.
They include the 41 non-career ambassadors and 42 career ambassadors appointed by Former President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2020.
The diplomats were deployed after the Senate confirmed them by Section 171(2)(1c) and Subsection 4 of the 1999 Constitution.
