By Muhammad Mamman
A former aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari has fired a blistering salvo at the ambassadorial list recently submitted by Bola Tinubu, accusing the current administration of resorting to “blatant nepotism”.
In a statement on Sunday, Lauretta Onochie — who once served as Special Assistant on Digital and Social Media and later headed the Niger Delta Development Commission — decried the nominations as heavily skewed in favour of the South-West region. According to Onochie, the breakdown of nominees shows a disproportionate regional spread.
Describing the list as “Nepotism at its Peak,” Onochie lambasted the presidency for allegedly rewarding individuals she labelled “enemies of Buhari’s administration,” while sidelining “core loyalists”. She argued that such nominations suggest a pattern of political “IOUs” rather than merit-based diplomacy.
Her broadside comes amid mounting criticism from opposition parties and civil society, many of whom have condemned the list as “scandalous” and detrimental to Nigeria’s global image.
Onochie further appealed to Nigerians’ growing discontent, writing that many now “miss Buhari”—not because his tenure was flawless, but because of what she described as growing instability, hunger and insecurity under the current administration.
The controversy adds to widening tensions within the ruling party as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, with Onochie’s criticism underscoring deepening fractures among erstwhile allies.
