The Nigerian Presidency has reacted to recent speculations surrounding the alleged appointment of several individuals as ambassadors.
A series of reports had earlier claimed that the Federal Government had begun screening candidates for diplomatic postings, in a bid to fill vacancies across Nigeria’s 76 embassies and 22 high commissions.
Among the names reportedly screened were former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Okezie Ikpeazu, former lawmaker Shehu Sani, ex-presidential aide Reno Omokri, former Deputy Governor of Lagos State Femi Pedro, and former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode.
However, in a recent interview with Control TV, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to President Bola Tinubu, Daniel Bwala, dismissed the reports as unfounded and unofficial.
Reacting to comments made by Senator Ali Ndume, who accused the administration of nepotism in its appointments, Bwala said:
“What he reeled out are falsehood and disinformation.”
He continued, “If you are going to come out and criticize government on things that can be backed up by data and stats, then it’s good you bring out the data and stats.”
When questioned about whether the alleged ambassadorial appointments may have influenced the senator’s criticism, Bwala emphasized the importance of relying on verified information.
He said, “This is why, like I said, that he as a ranking senator and I think someone who has been in the national assembly for so long, you would expect a degree of maturity and but also more than that you will express a degree of integrity, right, in the way you communicate because you sway opinion and you lead people. There are people that will look up to you and think what you’re saying is correct.”
“How can someone be banking on information that is circulating in the social media? And such information has not been made available in any of the platforms available of government,” he added.
Bwala stressed that the Presidency only communicates through official channels.
“Like I said yesterday, when we tried to debunk the assertion that the president has sacked the INEC chairman, I said, no, the president has his own way of communicating, we have official channels and not rumour mill.”
Dismissing the circulating list of nominees, he said, “That list or that conversation around names and the rest is nowhere, has not emanated from government.”
“It’s part of those for those, for some of us who know a thing about narrative or media, sometimes people plant stories to sway people. And sometimes, the plan is for the purpose of misinforming the people. That list is not known to government, and I’m not going to speak to it. I’d not like to promote anybody in the list or to demote anybody in the list.”
Asked whether any ambassadorial appointments are in the pipeline, Bwala confirmed that vacancies remain but declined to provide details.
The presidential aide said, “I know that we have foreign missions and embassies that have not been filled since the last time some of the ambassadors were recalled.”
“So one will assume that at some point the president will appoint an ambassador. As to when and who is in the list unknown is a fact that I don’t have any knowledge of.”
It will be recalled that in September 2023, President Bola Tinubu recalled all Nigerian ambassadors, both career and non-career. In March 2025, the Presidency announced that replacements would be unveiled “very soon.”
This government lacks focus and directions. God save US