Tinubu Isolated, Says Former Presidential Aide Hakeem Baba-Ahmed

Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Office of the Vice President, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s leadership style, describing him as “genuinely isolated” and warning that the president’s detachment from key aides is hurting the country. Speaking on ARISE TV, Baba-Ahmed reflected on his time in office, revealing that he had joined the administration with high hopes but found the experience disappointing.

Dismissing suggestions that Vice President Kashim Shettima is being sidelined, Baba-Ahmed noted that the office of the vice president has historically been underutilised. “If the president feels that the office of the vice president is not that important in the administration—and we have seen that many times—basically, that was what I met,” he said. He added that despite seeing the vice president almost daily, the role requires more than routine interactions.

Baba-Ahmed revealed that during his 18-month tenure, he only encountered President Tinubu three times, all during prayers at the presidential villa mosque, and never had a direct conversation with him. “I think part of the problem is that Tinubu never had time for people like us. I don’t think he had time for a lot of people working for him,” he said, stressing that the president’s isolation is a national concern rather than a personal grievance.

He questioned the quality of advice reaching the president, warning that some of those closest to Tinubu appear disconnected from Nigeria’s realities. “If you hear people who are close to him speak about Nigeria, you will hear as if they’re living in different worlds. That is the most frustrating thing for me,” he said.

Reflecting on the broader national mood, Baba-Ahmed described growing public despair and frustration over insecurity, economic hardship, and dwindling faith in democratic governance. “People are losing hope, asking what is the value of this democracy. And sometimes people ask what are we doing there? Are we really advising the president about some of these things?”

He criticised the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda as a collection of campaign slogans rather than a clear plan for governance. He also took aim at the composition of the federal cabinet, saying more than half of its members are unqualified to lead efforts in tackling the country’s pressing challenges.

Baba-Ahmed, who recently resigned from his advisory role, also distanced himself from emerging political coalitions and called on President Tinubu to consider stepping aside in 2027 to allow for new leadership. In a previously released open letter, he urged the president to leave a legacy of transformation by yielding the stage to a younger generation. “It would be a masterstroke if you and your party yielded the field to new voices and new leadership,” he wrote, adding that Tinubu has the power to ease the suffering of ordinary Nigerians and should focus on governance, not re-election.

He concluded by cautioning that focusing too heavily on political ambitions for 2027 could hinder any meaningful achievements during the president’s current term.