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 harm Nigeria’s diplomatic relations, particularly with Western nations.
Epelle said posting Mahmood to countries such as the United States would be “a disaster,” arguing that some Western governments perceive him as unfriendly to democratic processes.
Speaking on Channels Television on Monday, Epelle noted that African countries might be more tolerant of the appointment but warned that sending an envoy with what he described as “political baggage” could undermine Nigeria’s engagement with host nations. According to him, such envoys may be excluded from sensitive meetings or information channels.
He added that he was unsure who advised President Bola Tinubu to nominate Mahmood, whom he described as a personal friend. Epelle expressed concern that the President may not have been properly guided, suggesting that the decision reflected an attitude of indifference to public concerns.
Epelle said he had expected Mahmood to return to academic life or private pursuits after leaving office and described the nomination as surprising.
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 close to the President who advise him on who to pick. I don’t know who advised Mr President about Mahmood. He is a good friend of mine.
“I thought the professor should have been relaxing, maybe in his country home, or going back to the university to teach. I had no idea he was still interested in political office, but that is up to him. This is one appointment I take with a pinch of salt.
“I don’t think the President was properly advised. It almost feels like a case of ‘I don’t care’. Everybody serves at his pleasure. He has a right to appoint, but when making appointments you must feel the pulse of the nation. You must understand the intricacies of diplomacy and know that if you send someone with political baggage, the host country will treat that person differently. There is certain information they will never share and certain meetings they will never invite that person to.
“For instance, if Mahmood ends up in the US, it will be a disaster for us because they already believe he was not very friendly with democracy. I don’t know any Western country that would embrace that. Maybe some African countries can tolerate it. But this is not a good nominee considering what is happening around us in the global space.”
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