The Chief Executive Officer of TAF Africa and founder of the Albino Foundation, Jake Epelle, has warned that appointing former INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu as an ambassador could have negative consequences for Nigeria’s diplomatic relations, especially with Western nations.
Epelle warned that posting Mahmoud to countries like the United States would be “a disaster,” arguing that some Western nations view him as unfriendly to democratic processes.
Speaking on Channels Television on Monday, Epelle, however, said African countries might be more tolerant of the appointment.
According to him, sending an envoy with what he described as “political baggage” could limit Nigeria’s engagement with host countries, as such envoys may be excluded from sensitive meetings or information channels.
He said he was unsure who advised President Bola Tinubu to nominate Mahmoud, whom he acknowledged as a personal friend.
He expressed concern that the President may not have been properly guided, suggesting that the decision reflected an attitude of indifference to public concerns.
Epelle noted that he had expected Mahmoud to retire to academic life or private pursuits, saying the nomination came as a surprise.
He said: “Political appointment in general is a political chess game. They don’t respect federal character. They don’t respect the perception of the people. They have no regard for what the people think.
“Remember that these appointments are made by Cabal, just a handful of people that are very close to the President that will advise him let’s take this person, let’s take that person. And in the context of this, I don’t know who advised Mr. President about Mahmoud, who happens to be, I don’t deny friends, a good friend of mine.
“You know that I thought that prof should have been relaxing, maybe in his country home, or going back to the university to teach. I have no idea that he’s still interested in political office, but that’s up to him. That’s one appointment that I take with a pinch of salt.
“I don’t think that the President was properly advised, but is almost a case of, I just don’t care. Everybody serves at my pleasure, and that’s the Mr. President. So he has a right to appoint but when you are doing this appointment, you must feel the pulse of the nations. You must understand the intricacies around diplomacy, knowing fully well that any country you send someone with political baggage, that country would treat that person almost like a whip. There’s certain information they will never give to the person. There are certain meetings that they will never call the person. So it happens.
“So for instance, if Mahmoud ends up in the US, it will be a disaster for us, because already they believe that he was not very friendly with democracy. I don’t know any of the Western countries, maybe these African countries, yes, can tolerate it, but that’s not a good nominee for the interest of what is happening around us, especially within the global circle.”