A former aide to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed, has alleged that the Nigerian leader is operating in isolation, stating that he never had time for many of his appointees.
Naija News reports that Baba-Ahmed shared his insights about the incumbent administration during a recent interview on Arise TV.
Baba Ahmed, who previously worked in the Office of the Vice President, expressed that he entered the government with great optimism, only to find the experience ultimately unsatisfactory.
When questioned about whether Vice President Kashim Shettima is being intentionally marginalized by President Tinubu, Baba Ahmed refuted this claim, asserting, ‘No, I did not observe any such occurrences.’
He elaborated that the perceived sidelining of the vice presidency is not exclusive to the current administration.
Baba-Ahmed noted that if the president deems the vice presidential office as lacking significance, an observation he has encountered frequently, this has been a longstanding issue.
Furthermore, Baba Ahmed pointed out the absence of clearly defined responsibilities for vice presidents, despite their position as the second-highest officials in the country, indicating that this has been a persistent challenge throughout various administrations.
Although he interacts with the Vice President nearly every day, Baba Ahmed stressed that the role requires more than mere dialogue.
He disclosed that he barely had opportunities to interact with President Tinubu, stating, “I only saw President Tinubu three times in the mosque in the presidential villa. But I had never had a chance to sit down and talk with President Tinubu. 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.”
Baba Ahmed further described the president as “really and genuinely isolated,” whether by choice or circumstance, and stressed that this isolation poses a challenge for the country.
“The bottom line is, he ought to be available for the people he trusted and worked for him. And that’s the problem for the country, not for him,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed also expressed concerns over the kind of advice the president received from his aides, adding that “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.”
Reflecting on the state of the nation, Baba Ahmed expressed concern over the growing despair among citizens. “We work in the Villa and we go home and meet the people, and we know how the country is—how desperate people are, the difficult lives, the insecurity. People are losing hope, asking what is the value of this democracy. And sometimes people ask what are we doing there? Asking us, are we really advising the president about some of these things?”
He also emphasized the importance of having capable advisors addressing real issues, stating, “If the president has a quality of people talking and advising him about the real issues on ground, I think the country would be better.”
Baba Ahmed also expressed serious misgivings about the current coalitions of political parties, distancing himself from the movement and stating that he hopes not to be part of such coalitions in the future.
