Former presidential aide, Lauretta Onochie has lambasted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his prolonged delay in appointing new ambassadors, nearly two years after recalling Nigeria’s envoys abroad.
In a strongly worded post on her verified X handle on Wednesday, Onochie accused Tinubu of running Nigeria’s foreign affairs like a “private WhatsApp group,” alleging that he has shown a preference for engaging only with countries where he can be idolised.
DAILY GAZETTE recall that President Tinubu had, in September 2023, recalled all Nigerian ambassadors stationed across the globe.
However, close to 23 months later, no replacements have been named, leaving Nigerian foreign missions without substantive leadership.
Ambassadors play a critical role in representing Nigeria’s interests abroad and managing diplomatic relations with host countries, a responsibility that, critics say, has been neglected under Tinubu’s administration.
Onochie, who served as media aide to former President Muhammadu Buhari, did not hold back in her criticism.
She wrote: “A strategist who doesn’t know that Nigeria needs Ambassadors to relate with the rest of the world is running Nigeria like a private WhatsApp group.
“He prefers to relate to St. Lucia and Kazakhstan, where he can be idolised and worshipped for the right price.”
