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“On Saturday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, announced that President Bola Tinubu had issued a directive for the recall of all ambassadors. The minister, in a statement from his Special Adviser on Media, Al-Kashim Abdul-Kadir, clarified that this directive applied to both career and non-career ambassadors, with an expectation for these envoys to return to the country by October 31, 2013.

Reports indicate that a total of 41 non-career and 42 career ambassadors are expected to return to Nigeria. Notably, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website states that Nigeria maintains a total of 109 Missions, comprising 76 Embassies, 22 High Commissions, and 11 Consulates.

Previously, in January 2021, former President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the posting of 95 ambassadors, consisting of 43 career and 52 non-career diplomats. The Senate had ratified their nominations in 2020. On February 16, 2021, President Buhari officially inducted these ambassadors, charging them with the responsibility of safeguarding Nigerians abroad and representing the nation with dedication and pride. He also outlined nine priority areas guiding the country’s foreign policy, including health, anti-corruption efforts, transportation, security, and education.

Notably, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, was among those recalled. The minister clarified that the recall was not intended as a witch-hunt and applied uniformly to both career and non-career ambassadors.”

The statement clarified that all career and non-career ambassadors have been recalled as per President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s instructions. Ambassadors represent the country and serve at the President’s discretion, allowing him to appoint or recall them from any country.

The recalled ambassadors are expected to begin winding down their activities in their respective host countries, formally take leave of the host government within 60 days, and return to Nigeria by October 31, 2023, at the latest. The Minister expressed his gratitude for their service and looked forward to welcoming them to Abuja.

However, the United Nations Permanent Representatives of Nigeria in New York and Geneva have been exempted from the recall due to the upcoming United Nations General Assembly later this month.

There are indications that more of the last-minute appointments made by former President Buhari before leaving office may be nullified. Plans are reportedly underway to replace some of the appointees made by the previous administration, including those appointed by Buhari’s ministers and heads of agencies. The exact number of affected appointments is yet to be confirmed, but the review process is ongoing.

Several last-minute appointments were made by the Buhari administration, even until the morning of May 29, 2023, when Buhari handed over to President Tinubu. Some of these appointments are being reviewed and may be nullified, as they were made in haste without thorough consideration..

On May 25, Buhari appointed Garzali Abubakar as the Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Development Fund. Just one day before his handover of power, on May 28, the former President approved the appointment of Sha’aban Sharada as the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education.

However, President Tinubu has already taken action regarding some of Buhari’s last-minute appointees as well as long-serving appointees. For example, in June, Tinubu dissolved the boards of all federal government agencies, including some whose members were recently approved by the Buhari administration.

Recently, on Friday, Tinubu removed Dr. Bashir Gwandu, who had been appointed by the Buhari administration as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure on May 19, 2023, and named Khalil Halilu as his replacement.