Some countries including India have reportedly declined to accept certain ambassadors recently posted by Bola Ahmed Tinubu due to diplomatic policies linked to the remaining tenure of the current administration.

Diplomatic sources revealed that authorities in India and other yet to be disclosed nations have indicated reluctance to grant approval for some of the Nigerian envoys. The hesitation is tied to a diplomatic practice in some countries which discourages accepting ambassadors from governments that have less than two years left in office.

Under international diplomatic protocol a host country must grant a formal approval known as agrément before an ambassador can assume duty. Without this approval the envoy cannot officially begin work in the receiving country.

One of the nominees reportedly affected is career diplomat Ambassador Muhammad Dahiru who was designated to serve in New Delhi. Officials familiar with the situation said Indian authorities have already signaled that the appointment may face difficulty because of the limited time left in the Nigerian administration.

Sources within Nigeria’s foreign service explained that the hesitation is not necessarily about the individuals nominated but about the short period they may spend in office before the next election cycle. Nigeria’s next presidential election is scheduled for January 2027 while the current presidential term ends in May 2027.

President Tinubu recently approved the deployment of about 65 ambassadors and high commissioners to various countries and international organisations. However only a few countries such as the United Kingdom and France are reported to have issued the necessary diplomatic approval so far.

Officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are reportedly exploring diplomatic engagement with the affected countries in hopes that some may reconsider and grant approval for the nominees.