In a post on X, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi expressed disappointment with the list of 32 ambassadorial nominees submitted by President Bola Tinubu to the Senate on November 29, 2025.
Obi said several names were questionable, arguing that the appointments reflect a leadership culture that has allowed corruption and mediocrity to thrive.
He lamented that while Nigerians face killings, kidnappings, and economic hardship, political leaders are “busy hosting dinners, celebrating, and exchanging gifts as though Nigeria is not burning.”
Obi described this as “not governance, not leadership, and certainly not the Nigeria we deserve.”
He may have been referencing the sumptuous dinner served Nigerian federal legislators by the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu on Sunday.
Obi’s Full Statement: “A Pain One Carries Silently”
Obi shared a personal reflection after being approached by young Nigerians at Abuja airport. He said their frustration mirrored his own silent pain at watching the country “bleed daily.”
He again referenced President Donald Trump’s remark describing Nigeria as a “disgraced country,” noting that current realities explain why the world views Nigeria that way.
He urged young people not to lose hope, insisting that a “New Nigeria” is possible if citizens refuse to accept failure as destiny.
“A nation rises when its leaders feel the pain of its citizens—not when they insulate themselves from it,” Obi said.
Other Reactions to the Ambassadorial List
Tinubu’s ambassadorial nominee list has continued to receive mostly negative reviews.
Renowned diplomat and a former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Joe Keshi said some nominees of the list “should have no business being in the diplomatic service”.
He then even suggested that a few ought to be in prison rather than representing Nigeria abroad.
Among the ambassadorial nominees are names such as Reno Omokri (former presidential aide, known for his ethnic-baiting of a section of Nigeria), Femi Fani-Kayode (ex-aviation minister), Mahmood Yakubu (former INEC chairman who oversaw the election of Tinubu in 2023), Okezie Ikpeazu (ex-Abia State governor), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (ex-Enugu State governor).
Others include Ondo State Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo, and former Adamawa State Senator Grace Bent.
However, the Nigerian presidency has been defending the appointments. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, Ademola Oshodi, said the nominations were the best choices for Tinubu’s administration.
He argued that political appointments to diplomatic roles are common worldwide, citing examples from the U.S. and U.K. Oshodi maintained that the President has the discretion to appoint trusted allies who can advance his agenda.
However, critics argue that sending politically tainted figures abroad risks damaging Nigeria’s image.
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