Diplomatic Setback: India, Others Decline Tinubu’s Ambassadorial Nominees
Short tenure concerns stall agrément as only UK, France approve Nigeria’s envoys
Nigeria’s effort to restore full diplomatic representation abroad has encountered a setback as India and several other countries have reportedly declined to accept some of the ambassadorial nominees recently appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, citing concerns over the limited tenure remaining in the current administration.
Top officials within the Presidency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that India, where career diplomat Ambassador Muhammad Dahiru has been designated to serve, operates a policy that discourages accepting ambassadors from governments with less than two years left in office.
The refusal is linked to the diplomatic requirement known as agrément—the formal consent a receiving country must grant before an ambassador can assume duties in its territory.
According to sources familiar with the development, signals from New Delhi indicate reluctance to approve the nomination due to the approaching end of the current presidential term.
“They don’t accept an ambassador from an administration that has less than two years remaining in office. That is the body language we are already receiving,” a Presidency official revealed.
Another senior foreign service official confirmed India’s position but expressed optimism that Nigeria might leverage its longstanding bilateral relationship with the Asian nation to secure an exception.
While India’s policy has been clearly identified, diplomatic insiders say other countries may adopt similar conventions, particularly when the tenure of the sending government is nearing completion.
President Tinubu on March 6, 2026, approved the posting of 65 ambassadors-designate and high commissioners to various countries and international organisations, including the United Nations.
Among those nominated are former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode, former Katsina State Governor Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazzau, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, and presidential aide Reno Omokri.
However, diplomatic sources confirmed that so far only the United Kingdom and France have granted agrément to Nigeria’s nominees—High Commissioner-designate Aminu Dalhatu and Ambassador Ayodele Oke, respectively.
Foreign affairs experts say the development could further delay the federal government’s plan to restore full ambassadorial representation in Nigeria’s 109 diplomatic missions worldwide, many of which have been without substantive heads since September 2023 when the administration recalled all 83 ambassadors.
Under Article 4 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a receiving state must grant approval before a diplomatic envoy can be officially accredited.
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, described the reluctance by host countries as a pragmatic decision, noting that some governments prefer envoys who can serve for a reasonable period before a possible change in administration.
Nigeria’s next presidential election has been scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for January 16, 2027, while President Tinubu’s current tenure is expected to conclude in May 2027.
Diplomatic sources also indicated that although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has secured funding for the mandatory induction course for the ambassadors-designate, the schedule for their training and eventual deployment remains uncertain.
The unfolding diplomatic impasse may therefore delay Nigeria’s renewed push to strengthen its global diplomatic presence.
