President Bola Tinubu has reversed the recently announced appointment of Usman Suleiman as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Turkey following a mix-up.
The reversal came just hours after the initial disclosure, prompting the President to clarify that the nomination linked to Turkey was not final and would no longer stand in its earlier form.
The President emphasized that the decision was limited to that specific posting and would not affect other ambassadorial designations.
A statement issued later by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that the development resulted from a “naming mix-up” in the earlier announcement.
“Please note that there was a naming mix-up for the ambassador-designate to Turkey. The posting is undergoing review. Thanks for your understanding,” Onanuga said on behalf of President Tinubu.
Earlier, Onanuga had announced four diplomatic appointments, including naming Suleiman, a former governor of Kebbi State, as ambassador-designate to Turkey.
The announcement also referenced President Tinubu’s anticipated official engagement with Turkey following his return from a three-week overseas trip.
Clarifying the situation, the presidential spokesman noted that all other appointments announced alongside the Turkish posting remain intact.
According to him, Ayodele Oke remains ambassador-designate to France, Lateef Are to the United States, and Aminu Dalhatu as high commissioner-designate to the United Kingdom.
Furthermore, Onanuga disclosed that President Tinubu has directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to proceed with formal diplomatic notifications for the unaffected postings, instructing the ministry to communicate the nominations to the respective host countries in line with established diplomatic protocols.
The Presidency did not indicate when the review of the Turkish ambassadorial posting would be concluded but said further communication would be made once the process is completed.
