By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has explained his decision to participate in the screening of ambassadorial nominees by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, despite his earlier public criticism of the list as lopsided and contrary to the federal character principle.
Ndume, who represents Borno South, had, on the eve of the screening, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withdraw the nominee list submitted to the Senate, arguing that its composition breached Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The section mandates that appointments to federal institutions reflect the federal character of Nigeria to promote national unity and loyalty.
However, the senator said he was persuaded to take part in the exercise after receiving assurances from his colleagues on the committee that the Senate’s concerns would be formally communicated to the President through its report.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, Ndume said while he had not shifted his position on the imbalance in the list, he considered it more effective to engage the process from within rather than boycott the screening.
Ndume said, “I still maintain that the list is lopsided. At the committee level, I raised a constitutional order, and we agreed to continue with the screening.
“However, in our report, we will clearly advise the President that the composition of the remaining list should be balanced to address our concerns about the breach of the federal character principle as enshrined in the Constitution.”
He disclosed that the committee leadership assured him that the Senate’s observations would be captured in its report, to be transmitted to President Tinubu, particularly with respect to states that were either excluded or inadequately represented in the nominations submitted so far.
Ndume stressed that states left out of the current list should be accommodated in subsequent nominations in the interest of fairness and equity across the federation.
He specifically mentioned Gombe and Yobe as states not included at all in the nominations forwarded to the Senate.
The lawmaker noted that Nigeria currently operates 109 diplomatic missions worldwide, comprising 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates, arguing that this provides sufficient room to ensure equitable representation of all states through a combination of career and non-career ambassadors.
He said, “For non-career ambassadors, each state should have at least one to ensure balance.
“Some states only have career ambassadors, who are more or less non-political. Ideally, each state should have two or three ambassadors, and at least one should be a career ambassador.”
Ndume added that such an arrangement would address concerns about imbalance and potential constitutional breaches, noting that Nigeria maintains diplomatic relations with about 194 countries worldwide.
He reiterated that his participation in the screening exercise was driven by a commitment to constitutionalism and institutional responsibility, insisting that the Senate would deploy its reporting mechanism to seek corrective action where necessary.
Ndume said, “Our duty is not just to screen nominees, but also to draw attention to areas where constitutional provisions are not being fully complied with.”
He expressed confidence that the Senate’s feedback would guide the emergence of a more balanced final list of ambassadorial appointments.
