India and several other countries have declined to accept some ambassadors-designate appointed by Bola Tinubu, citing diplomatic policies that discourage receiving envoys from governments with less than two years remaining in office, officials familiar with the matter said.
Senior officials in the Nigerian presidency and the foreign service said Tuesday that India has a standing policy against accepting ambassadors from administrations nearing the end of their tenure. The policy affects the proposed posting of career diplomat Muhammad Dahiru, who was nominated to serve as Nigeria’s ambassador to India.
According to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of diplomatic discussions, authorities in New Delhi have signaled reluctance to grant agrément for Dahiru’s appointment.
Agrément is the formal approval a receiving country must grant before a diplomat can assume duty.
“They don’t accept an ambassador from an administration that has less than two years in office,” a presidency official said.
Another senior foreign service official confirmed India’s position but said Nigeria may attempt to persuade the country to make an exception because of the two nations’ bilateral ties.
“India has that policy. If you are less than two years to the end of the tenure, there will be difficulties accepting an ambassador,” the official said.
Officials said other countries may adopt similar approaches based on their diplomatic practices, though India is the only country with a clearly confirmed policy so far.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already secured funding for the mandatory induction training for the ambassadors-designate, but the timeline for the program remains uncertain, another official said.
Tinubu on March 6 approved the posting of 65 ambassadors-designate and high commissioners to various countries and international organizations, including the United Nations.
Among those nominated are former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode for Germany, presidential aide Reno Omokri for Mexico, former Katsina state governor Abdulrahman Dambazzau for China and Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim as Nigeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations.
So far, agrément has been received from the United Kingdom for High Commissioner-designate Aminu Dalhatu and from France for Ambassador-designate Ayodele Oke, leaving the status of the remaining nominees uncertain.
The next presidential election in Nigeria has been scheduled for Jan. 16, 2027, by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Tinubu’s first term is expected to end in May of that year.
Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, receiving states must consent before ambassadors can be accredited.
Former Nigerian envoy to Singapore Ogbole Amedu-Ode said the hesitation from receiving states reflects pragmatic diplomatic calculations tied to Nigeria’s upcoming elections.
“Elections can go either way,” he said. “So why receive letters of credence from an envoy of a president who has just a little over a year left in office?”
Amedu-Ode added that the administration may have erred by delaying the nomination of ambassadors until late in its term.
Former Nigerian ambassador to Algeria Mohammed Mabdul said political appointees could face greater scrutiny because host countries expect ambassadors to remain in post for several years.
“Once received and accredited, they are usually expected to remain for two to three years,” he said.
The diplomatic uncertainty could further delay the government’s effort to restore full ambassadorial representation abroad, more than two years after Tinubu recalled Nigeria’s 83 career and noncareer ambassadors in September 2023, leaving the country’s diplomatic missions without substantive heads.
