President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has recalled all Nigerian ambassadors, both career and non-career.

The recall was confirmed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar.

Tuggar said the recall was at the instruction of the President and that it was the prerogative of the President to send or recall ambassadors from any country.

The recall comes after Tinubu recalled the country’s envoy to the United Kingdom, Sarafa Ishola.

Ishola’s recall was announced in a letter from Tuggar, which said that the President had decided to recall him, signaling the end of his tenure as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the United Kingdom.

The letter said that Ishola was expected to commence the process of winding down his affairs and take formal leave of his host government within 60 days. He was also asked to return to Nigeria by October 31, 2023 at the latest.

The reasons for the recall of all Nigerian ambassadors have not been made public. However, it is possible that the President is seeking to reshuffle his diplomatic team or that he is unhappy with the performance of some of his ambassadors.

The statement confirming the recall of all ambassadors read: “Sequel to the inquiries on the letter recalling the Nigerian ambassador to the UK, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has clarified that all career ambassadors and non-career ambassadors have been recalled on the instructions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Ambassadors as representatives of the country serve at the behest of the President and it’s his prerogative to send or recall them from any country.”