List of 47 Nigeria ambassadorial nominees circulating on social media is fake
IN SHORT: A list of 47 individuals is circulating online with the claim that Nigeria's president Bola Tinubu has nominated them for ambassadorial roles. But the federal government has disowned the list.
Some social media posts claim that Nigerian president Bola Tinubu has nominated 47 individuals as envoys to different countries.
"President Tinubu has nominated 47 individuals as ambassadors, representing various states in Nigeria," reads a Facebook post showing the list.
The claim can also be found here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of the report.)
In letters dated 31 August 2023, Tinubu recalled all Nigeria's ambassadors and asked them to return to the country by 31 October.
More than 15 months later, Tinubu has not appointed replacements, leaving Nigeria's 109 diplomatic missions - including 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and one consulate - without ambassadors.
Has Tinubu released a list of ambassadorial nominees? We checked.
The list circulates again
We found that this list of ambassadorial nominees supposedly appointed by Tinubu circulated earlier in March 2024. See examples here, here and here.
It began to circulate again in December after media reports quoted an unnamed government source who claimed Tinubu would submit a list of nominees for ambassadorial roles to the senate after visiting France and South Africa.
Foreign affairs ministry debunks the claim
Nigeria's foreign affairs ministry described the list as fake.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform the general public to kindly disregard the fake list of Ambassadorial nominees, which is currently in circulation on some social media platforms.
"The Ministry wishes to state unequivocally that the appointment of Ambassadors is the prerogative of Mr. President and no such appointments have been made in that regard. The purported list should, therefore, be discountenanced," reads a statement signed by the ministry's spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.
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The claim that Tinubu has nominated 47 individuals for ambassadorial roles is false.
The false claim was also posted here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
