Senator Ali Ndume has called on President Bola Tinubu to withdraw the recently submitted ambassadorial nominee list ahead of the Senate’s screening and confirmation, arguing that its composition violates the federal character principle enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
In a statement on Saturday, Ndume Senator representing Borno South and former Senate Leader said the list contravenes Section 14(3) of the Constitution, which requires that the structure and operations of the Federal Government reflect Nigeria’s diversity to promote national unity and loyalty.
“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 could endanger national unity and promote ethnic distrust,” he said.
Ndume added that President Tinubu has always demonstrated a cosmopolitan approach to leadership, saying, “He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on Federal Character Principle that government’s structure and operations must represent the diverse states and peoples of Nigeria.”
The senator warned against decisions that could escalate ethnic tension, noting that the administration must be cautious amid what he described as “negative narratives” being pushed by some Western nations.
Section 14(3) of the Constitution mandates that government appointments must reflect Nigeria’s multiethnic composition to prevent “predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups.”
Preliminary review of the list revealed significant disparities: while some states have three or four nominees, others such as Gombe State have none. Regionally, the South-West leads with 15 nominees, followed by the North-East with 7, North-Central with 10, North-West with 13, South-East with 9 and South-South with 12.
The list, read on Thursday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has been referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for further legislative action.
