India has reportedly refused to accept Ambassador Muhammad Dahiru, Nigeria’s newly appointed envoy to New Delhi, citing a diplomatic policy that discourages receiving ambassadors from governments with less than two years remaining in office. This development, confirmed by officials in Nigeria’s Presidency and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlights potential challenges for President Bola Tinubu’s administration as it seeks approval for 63 other ambassadorial nominees.
Sources revealed on Tuesday that India’s policy stems from concerns that a new administration, potentially following the next presidential election, might recall ambassadors shortly after they assume their assignments. An official in the Presidency explained, “India appears unwilling to accept a diplomat from an administration that may have less than two years left in office.” This official added that “the concern is not about the individuals nominated for the posts but about the remaining time in the administration that nominated them.”
Nigeria’s next presidential election is scheduled for January 16, 2027, with President Tinubu’s current term concluding in May of the same year. This timeframe suggests that many appointees might have limited tenure if the approval process, which can take several months for background checks, drags on.
A senior official in the foreign service corroborated India’s stance but mentioned that Nigeria might still attempt to leverage its relationship with India to secure an exception. The official noted that some foreign governments often study political developments, especially when elections are imminent, before deciding on an envoy’s acceptance. While India’s rule is clear, other countries might have similar unstated practices.
President Tinubu approved the posting of 65 ambassadors and high commissioners on March 6. Among the prominent nominees are former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode (posted to Germany), presidential aide Reno Omokri (assigned to Mexico), former Katsina State Governor Abdulrahman Dambazzau (posted to China), and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (nominated as Nigeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations).
While the United Kingdom has accepted Aminu Dalhatu as High Commissioner and France approved Ayodele Oke as Nigeria’s ambassador, the remaining 63 nominees await agrément from their host countries. A third source indicated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already secured funds for mandatory training for the ambassador-designates, though the training date remains unfixed. Diplomatic rules, under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, stipulate that the receiving country must grant consent before an ambassador is formally recognized.
