India, Others Reject Tinubu’s Envoys over Tenure Concerns

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Fresh diplomatic hurdles have emerged for Nigeria after some of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s  newly appointed ambassadors reportedly faced rejection from some host countries.

Some of the countries the new envoys had faced huddles, it was learnt, included India, a country where exist a rule that an administration is not accepted to send ambassador when it has less than two years of reign.

A source with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who could not confirm the situation, however revealed that in actuality such rule exists in some countries.

Sources within Nigeria’s presidency and foreign service disclosed that several countries had been reluctant to grant agrément—the formal diplomatic approval required before an ambassador can assume duty—to some of the envoys recently posted by the government. 

It was reported that India signalled its refusal to accept Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to New Delhi, Muhammad Dahiru, citing a diplomatic practice that discouraged the acceptance of ambassadors from governments with less than two years left in office. 

Officials familiar with the negotiations said the Asian country was exercising its discretionary powers to decline the posting, noting that such policies were designed to avoid frequent diplomatic changes when a new government comes into power. 

The development came shortly after President Tinubu approved the deployment of about 65 ambassadors to Nigeria’s diplomatic missions worldwide, nearly two years after the administration recalled envoys appointed by the previous government. 

However, diplomatic sources indicated that signals from New Delhi and other capitals suggested that some of the nominations might face resistance because the ambassadors might serve for only a short period before Nigeria’s next election cycle. 

Under international diplomatic practice, a host country must formally approve a nominated envoy before he or she couldbe accredited. Without that approval—known as agrément—the envoy could not assume official duties. 

Officials said the reluctance from some countries was not necessarily about the qualifications of the nominees but rather concerned about the limited time they might remain in office before a possible change of government in Nigeria. 

The situation has raised fresh concerns about Nigeria’s diplomatic strategy, especially as the government moved to fully restore ambassadorial representation across key missions after months of vacancies.

When contracted to confirm the situation, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said he was not aware that such happened.

He said, “I have no information on that.”