Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the political adviser appointed by President Bola Tinubu to work in the Office of Vice President Kashim Shettima, has resigned from his position.
According to report by a national daily on Friday, Baba-Ahmed, a former spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), reportedly submitted his resignation about two weeks ago.
However, as of the time of this report, it remained unclear whether the presidency has officially accepted his resignation or not.
While the reasons for his resignation were not publicly disclosed, insiders suggested that it was based on his personal volition.
Appointed in September 2023, Baba-Ahmed served in the administration of Vice President Kashim Shettima for approximately 17 months, representing the presidency at various public engagements.
One of his most recent appearances was at the national conference, “Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy: Pathway to Good Governance and Political Integrity,” held in Abuja from January 28 to 29, 2025.
During his tenure, Baba-Ahmed’s role occasionally attracted controversy, particularly with the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle.
Tensions flared in April 2024 when Matawalle urged northern appointees to defend the Tinubu administration against criticism and misrepresentation, a comment widely seen as a veiled rebuke of Baba-Ahmed.
The minister’s remarks followed Baba-Ahmed’s response to Matawalle’s dismissal of the NEF as a “political paperweight” after the group criticised the North’s support for President Tinubu in the 2023 election.
Baba-Ahmed had argued that instead of attacking NEF, the minister should have focused on showcasing the achievements of northern appointees in improving security and reducing poverty.
“The scathing criticism of NEF by the junior minister of defence, Matawalle, is ill-advised,” Baba-Ahmed had said.
“He could have done a better job for this administration by identifying contributions made by northern ministers and other appointees like me.”
Matawalle later responded, saying that as a presidential appointee, Baba-Ahmed had a duty to defend and promote the administration.
“His relationship with the NEF is well known,” the minister stated. “Appointees must work for the administration’s success and counter unjust attacks that are motivated by ethnic or parochial interests.”
