The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described as diplomatic blunder, the posting of ambassadorial designates by the Federal Government, to foreign missions with securing required agrément from host countries, as stipulated under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

ADC in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said such exposes Nigeria to diplomatic embarrassment.

The party also questioned why only 65 ambassadors were announced for Nigeria’s approximately 109 diplomatic missions, while the government remains silent about the other 44 missions without envoys.

According to the party this is evident of President Bola Tinubu administration’s inability to grasp the basic protocol of diplomatic relations.

ADC noted that Article 4 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, demands that a sending state must first obtain the consent, known as agrément, of the receiving state before officially appointing or announcing a head of mission.

“Requests for agrément are a foundational principle of international diplomacy and are normally done through diplomatic channels,” the party stated.

It added that by announcing appointments and then requesting consent, is an indication that the government does not know what it is doing. “You cannot announce postings and say in the same statement that you are just requesting agrément.”