Tinubu’s Aide Defends Ambassadorial List
The senior special assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, Ademola Oshodi, has publicly defended the President’s recently submitted list of ambassadorial nominees. In an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief programme on Monday, Oshodi said that the nominations reflect the President’s deliberate judgment on who can best serve Nigeria’s interests abroad.
Oshodi argued that it is common practice globally for heads of state to appoint trusted allies or long-time associates to diplomatic posts, citing examples from the United States and Britain.
He stressed that while integrity and competence are important, the final authority to decide who represents Nigeria overseas rests solely with the President.
Addressing critics who question the quality of the picks, the aide said that such assessments are subjective, noting that individual definitions of “the best” vary. He maintained that the true test of the nominees will come from their performance once they assume office.
Oshodi further reminded Nigerians that by electing Tinubu, voters entrusted him with the discretion to make these appointments, and implied that questioning the nominees undermines that electoral mandate.
In his view, only time will tell whether the ambassadorial list was well-judged, through the successes (or failures) of the nominees in advancing Nigeria’s diplomatic, economic, cultural, and security goals abroad.