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Ali pulls out of ambassadorial posting

By Musikilu Mojeed, Abuja

Facts emerged in Abuja on Monday that a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, might have decided not to honour his posting to South Africa as an ambassador.

Photo file Dr. Ahmadu Ali

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Ali’s letter of accreditation to South Africa had been lying at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following the failure of the former PDP chairman to collect it.

There had been reports recently that Ali had rejected his posting to South Africa, owing to his preference for a better posting to a developed country.

But the spokesman for the foreign ministry, Mr. Ayo Olukanmi, said it was untrue that Ali had rejected his posting.

He claimed that a good number of ambassadors were also yet to pick up their letters even though the ministry had completed work on them.

Investigations by our correspondent on Monday, however, showed that the former PDP chairman had indicated to President Umaru Yar’Adua and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, that he was no longer interested in representing Nigeria in South Africa or any other country as ambassador.

A reliable source familiar with the matter said Ali had “told the relevant authorities point blank that he was not going anywhere.”

He said Ojo had contacted the former PDP chairman, asking him to come over to the ministry to sign the relevant documents and collect his accreditation papers.

But in his response, Ali was said to have told the minister that he was no longer “favourably disposed” to representing Nigeria as ambassador anywhere.

Ojo, according to our source, in turn informed the President of the former PDP chairman’s new stand.

When contacted by Yar’Adua, Ali was said to have stood his ground.

The source said, “I can assure you that Ali is not going anywhere. He has told the President and foreign affairs minister so. They have been appealing to him but he has refused to budge.

“The former PDP chairman just felt that he was not treated with respect by the President and the minister,” the source added.