TINUBU HAS RIGHT TO CHOOSE AMBASSADORS- PRESIDENCY

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BY JENN NOMAMIUKOR

Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, Ademola Oshodi, has supported the President’s recent choices for ambassadorial posts. He said these selections show the President’s decision on what is best for his government and for Nigeria.

During an interview on Television, on Monday, Oshodi explained that sending political friends or people with long ties as ambassadors is common around the world.

He pointed out that leaders everywhere, whether presidents or prime ministers, usually pick people they trust or have worked with for a long time.

He said, “Whether it’s Donald Trump sending his friends as ambassadors, or the British government sending Peter Mandelson to Washington even though there were some problems, this is just how things work in politics.”

He said, “I’m not saying we should send people with bad character overseas, but it has to be up to the president or head of state to make that decision.”

Oshodi emphasized that Nigerians should respect the president‘s authority, explaining that those who doubt the quality of the nominees don’t understand the election results.

The presidential aide insisted that only the president is responsible for deciding what’s best for the country‘s leadership.

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He said, “We voted for a president, and we voted for him to make his own decisions. This is the best choice the President has made, and it’s the best for the success of his government.“

The presidential aide said that deciding if someone is “the best” is a personal opinion.
He also said that how well the ambassadors do their jobs will show if the President’s choices were right.

He added, “Your idea of what’s best might not be the same as mine.
He sends his people out to represent his government—whether for economic, security, or cultural reasons.“

HOTJIST media reported that President Tinubu sent the names of 32 people who want to be ambassadors to the Senate for approval. This happened a few days after he first sent three names.

The list has well–known people like Prof Mahmood Yakubu, who once led the Independent National Electoral Commission; Reno Omokri, who used to work closely with the president; Femi Fani-Kayode, who was previously the Minister of Aviation; and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who was the governor of Enugu State, among others.

On Saturday, Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, said that each person on the list will find out where they will be posted as ambassadors only after the Senate gives their approval.

He also mentioned that the list has four women who are career ambassadors and six women who are non–career ambassadors.