India among other countries have repportedly rejected President Tinubu’s Ambassador Nominees over short tenure concerns.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that India and several undisclosed countries have reportedly declined to accept some of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recently nominated ambassadors due to diplomatic policies that discourage receiving envoys from administrations with less than two years remaining in office.
Senior officials in the Presidency and Nigeria’s foreign service disclosed that India has signalled reluctance to accept the posting of career diplomat Muhammad Dahiru, who was nominated to serve in New Delhi.
According to sources, India maintains a standing policy against accepting ambassadors from governments with less than two years left in their tenure. The policy has reportedly influenced its response to Nigeria’s request for agrément for Dahiru’s appointment.
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Agrément is the formal diplomatic approval granted by a receiving country before an ambassador-designate can assume duties in the host nation.
A Presidency official familiar with the development said the Nigerian government had begun receiving subtle diplomatic signals from New Delhi and possibly other capitals regarding their reluctance to grant approval.
“They don’t accept an ambassador from an administration that has less than two years in office. They are already giving us that body language,” the official said.
Another senior foreign service official confirmed India’s position but expressed optimism that Nigeria could leverage its diplomatic relationship with the Asian nation to secure an exception.
“India has that policy. If you are less than two years to the end of the tenure, there will be difficulties accepting an ambassador. But perhaps we can leverage our relationship with them,” the official said.
While India is the only country whose policy has been clearly confirmed, diplomatic sources indicated that other countries could follow similar conventions based on their internal practices.
The development comes after President Tinubu approved the postings of 65 ambassadors-designate and high commissioners on March 6, 2026, to various countries and international organisations.
Among those nominated are former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, who was posted to Germany; presidential aide Reno Omokri, nominated for Mexico; former Chief of Army Staff Abdulrahman Dambazau, posted to China; and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, nominated as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far secured agrément from only two countries: the United Kingdom for High Commissioner-designate Aminu Dalhatu and France for Ambassador-designate Ayodele Oke.
The fate of the remaining nominees remains uncertain as diplomatic consultations continue.
Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a receiving country must formally approve the appointment of an ambassador before the envoy can present credentials and begin official duties.
Diplomatic experts say the hesitation from some countries may be linked to Nigeria’s political calendar, as the Independent National Electoral Commission has scheduled the next presidential election for January 16, 2027, while Tinubu’s current tenure is set to end in May 2027.
Former Nigerian envoy to Singapore, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, said the hesitation by receiving countries could be driven by pragmatic diplomatic considerations.
“Those receiving states are being pragmatic because elections can go either way. They may hesitate to accept an envoy from a president who has just about a year left in office,” he said.
Another former envoy, Mohammed Mabdul, noted that political appointees could face more scrutiny than career diplomats because they may return home to participate in election campaigns before completing their postings.
The diplomatic challenge comes as the Tinubu administration seeks to restore full ambassadorial representation abroad after recalling 83 career and non-career ambassadors in September 2023, leaving Nigeria’s 109 foreign missions without substantive heads.
Despite the diplomatic hurdles, Nigeria and India have strengthened bilateral ties in recent years. President Tinubu attended the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi, where he met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss cooperation in defence, agriculture, trade, and investment.
In November 2024, Modi also paid a state visit to Nigeria, the first by an Indian prime minister in 17 years during which both countries signed agreements aimed at deepening their strategic partnership.
