Aso-Rock, Abuja – Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as a political adviser, has tendered his resignation from the administration.
This was confirmed by credible sources within the presidency on Thursday, April 3, adding that Baba-Ahmed, the former spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), tendered his resignation from Tinubu’s government two weeks ago.
Why Hakeem Baba-Ahmed resigned from Tinubu’s cabinet
According to Daily Trust, the presidential appointee did not give any reason for his resignation, citing that it was a personal issue. However, it was yet to be confirmed whether President Tinubu accepted his resignation or not.
Legit.ng recalled that Tinubu appointed Baba-Ahmed as a special adviser on political matters to the office of Vice President Kashim Shettima in September 2023.
The former northern leader has represented the presidency at several public events in the last 17 months. One of his recent representations of the presidency was the national conference theme: “Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy: Pathway to Good Governance and Political Integrity”. This was held on January 28 and 29, 2025, in Abuja.
Criticism against Baba-Ahmed as Tinubu’s appointee
The appointment of Bala to the presidency had drawn criticism at some points. One such criticism came from Bello Matawalle, the current minister of state for defence.
In April 2024, the minister appeared to have taken a swipe at Baba-Ahmed when he emphasized that northern appointees in Tinubu’s administration must not remain silent amid intimidation or misrepresentation of the current government.
Matawalle’s comment followed Baba-Ahmed’s criticism of the minister’s description of the northern elders forum as a “political paperweight”. The minister’s position was a response to the group’s statement that the north had made a mistake for voting for Tinubu in the 2023 election.
How Baba-Ahmed tackled Matawalle
But Baba-Ahmed told the minister that Tinubu’s government would have been better defended if Matawalle had highlighted his achievements as a cabinet member, as well as other northern appointees serving under Tinubu, rather than attacking the group.
In his reaction, the minister insisted that every Tinubu appointee has the duty of defending the government and promoting the administration’s achievements.
