Former Senate Leader Senator Ali Ndume has explained why he took part in the screening of ambassadorial nominees by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, despite earlier calling on President Bola Tinubu to withdraw the list.
Ndume had, ahead of the screening, raised concerns over what he described as the lopsided composition of the nominees, arguing that it violated Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates the application of the federal character principle in the composition of the federal government to promote national unity.
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, the Borno South senator said he was persuaded by his colleagues on the committee not to boycott the screening and confirmation exercise. He added that he also secured assurances from the committee’s leadership that concerns over imbalance in the nominations would be formally conveyed to the President.
“I still maintain that the list is lopsided,” Ndume said. “At the committee level, I raised a constitutional order during our meeting, and we agreed that while the screening would proceed, our report would clearly advise the President that the remaining nominations should be balanced to address the breach of the federal character principle.”
Ndume stressed that states omitted in the current nominations must be accommodated in the final list to be forwarded to the Senate for screening and confirmation. According to him, some states, such as Gombe and Yobe, were not represented, while others only had career ambassadors, whom he described as largely non-political appointees.
“We have 109 diplomatic missions. For non-career ambassadors, each state should have at least one to ensure balance,” he said. “Ideally, each state should have two or three ambassadors, including at least one career ambassador, given that we have 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates worldwide.
Ndume argued that such an arrangement would help address the issue of imbalance and ensure compliance with Section 14(3) of the Constitution, noting that Nigeria maintains diplomatic relations with 194 countries globally.
The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs concluded the screening of ambassadorial nominees last week.
Ndume had earlier rejected Tinubu’s nomination over lack of federal character.
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