Some countries, including India, have reportedly declined to accept certain ambassadors recently nominated by Bola Tinubu, citing diplomatic practices that discourage receiving envoys from governments nearing the end of their tenure.
Senior officials within the Presidency and Nigeria’s foreign service disclosed that India maintains a long-standing policy that makes it difficult to approve ambassadors from administrations with less than two years remaining in office.
Among those affected by the development is career diplomat Muhammad Dahiru, who was nominated to serve as Nigeria’s ambassador in New Delhi.
Diplomatic Sources Signal Resistance
Sources familiar with the situation revealed that Nigerian authorities have already begun receiving signals from New Delhi and possibly other capitals suggesting reluctance to grant agrément to some of the nominees.
Agrément refers to the formal diplomatic approval that a host country must grant before a foreign ambassador can officially assume duties in its territory.
A Presidency official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, said India had informally communicated its position to Nigerian authorities.
According to the official, the hesitation is not necessarily related to the competence of the nominees but rather the limited time left in the current administration.
“They have a policy that discourages accepting ambassadors from governments with less than two years remaining in office. That message has already been communicated to us indirectly,” the official explained.
The source further noted that some countries view the Tinubu administration as approaching the end of its tenure and may prefer to wait until after the next election before accepting new envoys.
“There are concerns about continuity. If another government comes into power, the ambassadors could be recalled,” the official added.
Government Seeking Diplomatic Solution
Another senior official in Nigeria’s foreign service confirmed the existence of India’s policy but expressed confidence that diplomatic engagement could help Nigeria secure an exception.
“I am aware that India applies such a rule when an administration is close to the end of its tenure. However, we hope that our bilateral relationship will help us find a way around it,” the official said.
The source also noted that some foreign governments might evaluate Nigeria’s political climate before making a final decision on the nominations.
According to the official, some countries may consider whether the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is likely to remain in power after the next election before granting approval.
Only Two Countries Have Approved
President Tinubu approved the deployment of 65 ambassadors-designate and high commissioners on March 6 to various countries and international organisations, including the United Nations.
The nominees include former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, who was posted to Germany; presidential aide Reno Omokri, nominated for Mexico; former Katsina State governor Abdulrahman Dambazzau, posted to China; and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, nominated as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
So far, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Nigeria) has secured agrément from only two countries — the United Kingdom for High Commissioner-designate Aminu Dalhatu and France for Ambassador Ayodele Oke.
Training Yet to Begin
Meanwhile, the mandatory induction programme for the ambassadors-designate has yet to begin.
A government official disclosed that funds for the training have already been released by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, but the exact date for the programme has not been determined.
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With approvals secured from only two host countries so far, the fate of most of the ambassadorial nominees remains uncertain as diplomatic engagements continue.