A former aide in the Office of the Vice President, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has opened up about his time in the Tinubu administration, describing it as a disappointing chapter in his public service journey.
While speaking when he appeared on Arise Television, Baba-Ahmed said he had entered government with high hopes and a desire to contribute significantly to national development.
However, his expectations were not met.
“I joined with great expectations,” he shared, “but the experience turned out to be disappointing.”
When asked whether Vice President Kashim Shettima was being sidelined by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Baba-Ahmed dismissed such claims.
“No, I didn’t see any of these,” he said, adding that his decision to step down was based on personal reflections, not political tension.
He explained that the perceived marginalisation of the vice presidency is not unique to the current administration. “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.
Baba also highlighted the lack of defined schedules for vice presidents, despite their status as the nation’s second-highest-ranking officials, noting that this has been a recurring issue across administrations.
Despite seeing and speaking with the Vice President almost daily, Baba Ahmed stressed that the role demands more than just conversations.
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,” he added.
Baba Ahmed 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.
He expressed worry 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 emphasised 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.
The former presidential adviser had in a recent open letter made available to Daily Trust urged President Tinubu, to consider stepping aside “for a new generation of Nigerians who can carry the nation forward with fresh energy and ideas”, in the 2027 general elections.
Baba-Ahmed, who appealed to Tinubu to shelve any plans of seeking re-election in 2027, argued that Tinubu’s best option for a dignified political exit would be to voluntarily step aside and allow younger leadership to emerge.
“Step aside not for your opponents, but for a new generation of Nigerians who can carry the nation forward with fresh energy and ideas.
“Our generation has done its time. It would be a masterstroke if you and your party yielded the field to new voices and new leadership. That way, you could catalyse a peaceful, historic transformation and inspire a new political culture rooted in merit, unity, and progress,” he said.
He added that the president should reflect on the legacy he wishes to leave behind and how history will remember him.
“You hold what your opposition lacks: the power to reduce the harshness of life for the average Nigerian. Use it well. Watch 2027, yes—but don’t become consumed by it,” he advised.
Baba-Ahmed, who recently resigned as special adviser on political matters in the vice president’s office, acknowledged that the administration inherited a troubled economy and an exhausted populace.
He criticised Tinubu’s inability to convert the momentum of his inauguration into “effective leadership”.
He described the Renewed Hope Agenda of the president as merely a set of campaign promises and not a coherent governance plan. He also criticised the composition of Tinubu’s cabinet, stating that more than half “has no business managing an administration tasked with improving security, livelihoods, or public trust”.
Baba-Ahmed, who hinted that he never had a one-on-one meeting with President Tinubu throughout his 18 months in the presidency, warned against prioritising 2027 political ambitions over governance, cautioning that such could jeopardise any meaningful progress during the president’s current term.
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