Former Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised the list of ambassadorial nominees sent to the Senate by President Bola Tinubu, describing some names as “shocking” and a symbol of a worsening political culture.
Recall that the President recently sent a list of 32 nominees to the Nigerian Senate for screening and confirmation, a development that was received with mixed reactions.
Among the nominees were prominent and controversial political figures, including former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, ex-aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, former chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, and former governor of Abia state, Okezie Ikpeazu.
Obi in a Monday statement posted on X, expressed dismay at the quality of people nominated by the President.
He said, “Yes, some of the names being paraded to represent us as ambassadors globally are shocking.
“But with a leadership that has allowed mediocrity, corruption, and impunity to rise to the top, who else did you expect them to choose?”
The former Anambra governor also tied his criticism to the economic woes affecting millions of Nigerians.
He said, “When our people are being killed, our leaders are busy hosting dinners. When children are being snatched from their schools, the political class is celebrating and dancing,” he added.
“When families cannot afford their next meal, those in power are welcoming defectors and exchanging gifts as though Nigeria is not burning.
“This is not governance. This is not leadership. And this is certainly not the Nigeria we deserve.”
He lamented that the suffering in the country has become a pain one carries silently. He recounted an emotional moment at Abuja airport on Monday, where young Nigerians questioned his recent silence.
Obi added, “It is the kind of pain that makes you remember the humiliating remark from the American president who referred to Nigeria as a ‘now disgraced country’.
“Today, when you look around, you begin to understand why the world speaks of us that way.”
Since President Tinubu revealed the nomination list of ambassadors, critics and supporters have shared their opinions on the issue. While critics say the list is a compensation for politicians, others say that Tinubu is at liberty to choose whoever he likes as ambassadors.
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