The Senate has defended one of Tinubu’s career ambassadors-designate, Emmanuel Adeyemi, following public criticism that trailed his screening over his inability to correctly name all three senators representing Ekiti State.
The defence came after Adeyemi appeared before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, where he momentarily struggled to recall the name of one of the Ekiti senators during questioning.
The incident sparked sharp reactions from some lawmakers, who argued that nominees representing Nigeria abroad must possess basic political awareness.
Reacting on Monday, the Senate spokesman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, urged Nigerians to exercise restraint, describing the incident as a minor lapse that should not overshadow years of public service.
“These are career ambassadorial nominees. The particular nominee you spoke about is from my own senatorial district. At least, you heard him mention my name among the Ekiti senators he knows. That means he knew me,” Adaramodu said.
He explained that the tense atmosphere of the screening could easily affect even seasoned public servants, adding that pressure often leads to momentary slips.
“When you are under that kind of stress resulting from the questioning, you are bound to miss out on one thing. If somebody scores 66.7 per cent, do you crucify that person? That is not to say he does not even know his immediate representative, which is me,” he added.
Adaramodu also stressed that Adeyemi’s personal and professional relationship with him showed that the lapse was not borne out of ignorance.
“He knows me personally and has been to my office several times. These are not really issues. It is like suddenly asking someone under tension to name the president of Ghana. He might not remember at that moment,” he said.
According to the Senate spokesman, Adeyemi’s focus during the screening was understandably centred on his constituency representative.
“What concerns him most has to do with his constituency, which is me. In his case, he missed out on only one senator. Why should we make a fuss out of it? Again, he is a career, not a political, ambassador,” Adaramodu said.
He further noted that Adeyemi’s long years in the foreign service should weigh more than a brief slip during screening.
“He is not even a fresher. He has served Nigerians for many years as a career officer, under secretary, and administrative officer in our foreign missions,” he added.
The controversy followed a dramatic moment at the screening when Adeyemi, a deputy director in the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was asked to name the three senators from Ekiti State. While he mentioned Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and Senator Yemi Adaramodu, he struggled to recall the third senator, Cyril Fasuyi, drawing visible displeasure from some members of the panel.
Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong criticised the lapse, warning that ambassadors must demonstrate adequate political awareness, a position supported by Senators Adams Oshiomhole and Seriake Dickson. However, other lawmakers, including Senator Yunus Akintunde, appealed for leniency.
Adeyemi is one of three ambassadors-designate from Ekiti State submitted by Tinubu, alongside Erelu Angela Adebayo and Olumilua Oluwayemika.
