‘Stop Playing Politics With Foreign Policy!’ – FG Fires Back At ADC Over Envoy Delay

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed recent criticisms from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over the delay in appointing ambassadors to Nigerian missions abroad, describing the comments as politically motivated and lacking substance.

According to IReporter Online, Bolaji Abdullahi, interim national publicity secretary of the ADC, had on Sunday faulted President Bola Tinubu for failing to make ambassadorial appointments, claiming it has negatively impacted Nigeria’s diplomatic engagements.

He cited recent visa policy changes by countries such as the United States and the UAE as evidence of strained international relations allegedly caused by this delay.

However, in a statement released on Tuesday, Alkasim Abdulkadir, the special assistant on media and communications strategy to Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar, described the ADC’s position as “baseless and politicised.”

He explained that the delay is part of President Tinubu’s broad reform agenda aimed at overhauling Nigeria’s foreign service to prioritise merit, strategic interests, and national security over political patronage.

According to IReporter Online, Abdulkadir emphasized that ambassadorial appointments are not routine exercises done to appease political groups, but serious national responsibilities that require extensive vetting and clearance with host nations, “The era of rewarding political loyalty with ambassadorial posts, regardless of experience or relevance, is over,” he asserted.

He also clarified that all Nigerian missions remain operational and diplomatically represented through chargés d’affaires, urging the ADC not to discredit Nigeria’s foreign service personnel.

Addressing further remarks made by the ADC regarding Minister Tuggar’s recent comments on the deportation of Venezuelans from the U.S., Abdulkadir defended the minister’s stance.

He noted that Tuggar’s remarks were part of a deliberate soft power strategy in line with modern diplomatic practices, rejecting any claims of recklessness.

According to IReporter Online, Abdulkadir further accused the ADC of leveraging sensitive foreign policy issues for domestic political gain, stressing that such tactics are detrimental to Nigeria’s international credibility.

He urged political actors to avoid weaponizing diplomacy for short-term political mileage, stating that Nigeria’s global standing must not be compromised by partisanship.

”IREPORTER REPORTS”