Following the African Union’s rejection of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s nomination to contest for the World Trade Organisation’s director-general position, the Nigerian government issued a response defending their actions.
Earlier, the AU’s office of legal counsel had rejected her nomination on the grounds that it came after the November 30 deadline set by the ministerial committee on candidature for member countries to present their candidates.
In a Note Verbale responding to the AU’s stance, the Nigerian government insisted that they did not violate any law as it was a replacement of a previously presented candidate (Yonov Agah) and not a fresh nomination.
The response stated, “The permanent mission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will not be a party to any propaganda and/or actions that supplant the vision and objectives of the African Union, by supporting a willful, obviously partisan and outlandish interpretation of rules and decisions.”
“It is obvious that the OLC is stubbornly trapped to the unfounded notion that the candidature of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a fresh submission and cleverly refraining from recognizing it as a replacement for Ambassador Yonov Frederick Agah, an earlier submission, duly made in line with all known rules.
“The rules referred to by the legal counsel were related to the submission of a new candidature and not, by any shred of imagination, a substitution/replacement of an earlier submission duly made in line with all rules.”
“None of the decisions so far prevents any member state from substituting its candidate especially when a consensus candidate has not been chosen.”