By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
India has declined to accept the nomination of Ambassador Muhammad Dahiru as Nigeria’s top envoy to New Delhi, citing a diplomatic policy that discourages receiving ambassadors from foreign governments with less than two years remaining in their tenure . The decision has cast a shadow over the fate of several other ambassadorial nominees recently approved by President Bola Tinubu.
According to multiple senior officials in the Presidency and the foreign service, India informed Nigeria of its reluctance to grant agréement—the formal consent required from a host country before an ambassador can assume duties—for Ambassador Dahiru’s posting . A Presidency source familiar with the development confirmed the situation, stating, “They don’t accept an ambassador from an administration that has less than two years in office. So they are giving us that body language already”.
The hesitation stems from Nigeria’s approaching general elections, scheduled for early 2027. Officials explained that the concern is not personal to the nominees but is rooted in diplomatic pragmatism regarding the remaining lifespan of the current administration .
“They are already seeing the Tinubu government as an outgoing government,” one official told The PUNCH. “Their concern is that he has just one year left, so what if he doesn’t win the election? Another government may come and remove them” .
A senior foreign service official confirmed India’s long-standing practice, noting, “I know India has that policy. If you are less than two years to the end of the tenure, there will be difficulties accepting an ambassador” . The official, however, expressed optimism that Nigeria could leverage its strong bilateral relationship with India to secure an exception . The government may argue that the ruling party stands a strong chance of re-election, thereby providing some continuity.
While India is currently the only country confirmed to have formally signaled its position, officials suggest other nations may adopt similar conventions, potentially delaying Nigeria’s plan to restore full ambassadorial representation across its 109 foreign missions .
So far, only the United Kingdom and France have granted agrément to Nigeria’s nominees, High Commissioner-designate Aminu Dalhatu and Ambassador Ayodele Oke, respectively . The fate of the remaining 63 nominees, which includes high-profile political appointees, remains uncertain.
The current predicament has been exacerbated by the long delay in making the nominations. In September 2023, shortly after assuming office, President Tinubu recalled all 83 career and non-career ambassadors, leaving Nigeria’s missions without substantive heads for over two years . It was not until November 2025 that names were finally forwarded to the Senate for confirmation . This delay means that even if approved, some envoys may not assume their posts until late 2026, leaving them with less than a year in office before the next election cycle.
The diplomatic friction comes at a time of notably warm relations between Abuja and New Delhi. President Tinubu attended the G20 Summit in India in September 2023, and in a reciprocal visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveled to Nigeria in November 2024—the first trip by an Indian prime minister in 17 years . During that visit, Modi was conferred with Nigeria’s second-highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger .
Despite these strong ties, established diplomatic protocol may ultimately prevail. Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, receiving states are not obliged to provide a reason for refusing agrément, allowing countries to quietly decline nominees for reasons including tenure limitations.
A former Nigerian ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, described the receiving states’ position as “pragmatic,” given Nigeria’s election cycle . He criticized the administration’s delay in nominating ambassadors, stating, “The mistake has been made by the current administration already because they shouldn’t have waited two to three years into their term before nomination, screening, and deployment of heads of missions” .
Another former envoy, Mohammed Mabdul, suggested that while outright rejection of career diplomats was unlikely, political appointees could face greater scrutiny, as they might be recalled to participate in campaigns shortly after assuming their posts .
