Tinubu's Ambassadorial List Is A Reward For Political Cronies

The African Democratic Congress has called out President Bola Tinubu's latest ambassadorial list of 32 nominees, describing it as a cast of political jobbers and corruption suspects. The party specifically took aim at the nomination of former INEC chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who supervised the controversial 2023 election that brought Tinubu to power.

The ADC argued that this nomination, coming barely two years after that disputed election, blurs the line between electoral umpires and players. If allowed to stand, it sets a dangerous precedent where future INEC chairmen will see their position as a stepping stone to political rewards. The party said, and I quote, "Once that mindset enters the bloodstream of our electoral system, neutrality becomes impossible, partisanship becomes inevitable, and elections become transactional."

Professor Yakubu should do the patriotic thing and reject this nomination for the sake of INEC's credibility. If he will not, then the Senate must reject him. After two years of Nigeria's damaging absence on the global stage, is this really the best we can offer the international community?