Several countries, including India, have reportedly declined to accept some ambassadors recently nominated by Bola Tinubu, citing diplomatic policies related to the remaining tenure of the sending government.
Sources within the Presidency and Nigeria’s foreign service said India maintains a practice of not accepting ambassadors from administrations with less than two years left in office. The development has affected a number of Nigeria’s envoy nominations.
One of the nominees impacted is career diplomat Muhammad Dahiru, who was proposed as Nigeria’s ambassador to New Delhi. Officials familiar with the matter said the Asian country may delay or decline Nigeria’s request for his acceptance.
Under diplomatic protocol, host countries must grant formal approval—known as agrément—before a nominated envoy can assume duties. Without this consent, ambassadors cannot be officially deployed to their missions.
While India’s stance appears the most explicit so far, officials say other countries could adopt similar positions, potentially slowing Nigeria’s efforts to restore full ambassadorial representation across its foreign missions.