DG WTO: Nigeria Criticises AU, Says Okonjo-Iweala's Nomination Violates No Rules

Nigeria has criticised the decision of the African Union (AU) to reject the nomination of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for the seat of the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Nigeria stated that AU is stubbornly trapped to the unfounded notion that Okonjo-Iweala is a nomination rather than a replacement.

AllNews had reported that AU disqualified Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from contesting for the office of the Director-General of WTO despite WTO accepting her nomination. The decision was taken following protest from Egypt, advising AU to ignore her nomination by Nigeria. Although, AU stated that countries have the right to submit representative for the position, but the right does not afford any country the right to change existing rules, relevant decisions of the Executive Council and decisions of the policy organs of the union.

The statement was made in response to Nigeria's decision to replace its candidate, Yonov Agah, with Okonjo-Iweala. AU stated that the substitution was made after the November deadline, so her nomination will not be approved even though WTO said the nomination is still on. But Nigeria insists that Okonjo-Iweala was announced as a replacement, not a nomination, so no rule was violated as insinuated by AU.

"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,” the letter read.

“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," Nigeria said.

Nigeria Questions AU's Motive

Nigeria said the decision by AU to reject Okonjo-Iweala's candidacy is worrisome, grossly uninformed and wrong, stating that Okonjo-Iweala as a candidate for DG-WTO cannot be treated as a fresh nomination for the position. The West African country explained that Agah was replaced after stepping down due to natural causes or acts of force majeure, so it's not illegal to make a replacement of such a candidate.

Nigeria further argued that a consensus candidate has not been chosen, so no decision can prevent a member state from substituting its candidate, “... does it then mean that a country whose candidate steps down as a result of natural causes or act of force majeure becomes ineligible to replacing such candidate according to OLC? Such a conclusion is not just patently wrong, but worrisome and grossly uninformed.

"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.

“Hence, Nigeria’s substitution/replacement of Ambassador Yonov Frederick Agah with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as a candidate for DG-WTO cannot be treated as a fresh nomination for the position, and as such cannot be said, or even imagined not to conform with any of the rules of procedure deliberately highlighted by OLC to mislead.

"None of the decisions so far prevents any member state from substituting its candidate especially when a consensus candidate has not been chosen.

“To state that Nigeria is latching on its sovereign right to change existing rules of procedure and relevant decisions of the executive council as well as decisions of other policy organs, is very unbecoming, unfortunate and a gross misinterpretation and misrepresentation of facts from an office established to be dispassionate, neutral and professional.

“OLC has substantially failed to substantiate how the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in exercising her sovereign right, flouted any of the said decisions or rules of procedure, as none of them categorically precludes the substitution of a candidate by the member-states.”