Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has resigned from his position.
Presidency sources confirmed that the former spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) submitted his resignation about two weeks ago. Although no specific reasons were given, Dr. Baba-Ahmed is said to have cited “personal grounds” for his decision. As of the time of this report, it remains unclear whether the resignation has been formally accepted by the presidency.
Appointed in September 2023 to serve in the Office of Vice President Kashim Shettima, Baba-Ahmed’s tenure was not without friction—most notably with the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle.
Fallout Over NEF Comments
Tensions between the two northern political figures came to a head in April 2024. Matawalle publicly criticised Dr. Baba-Ahmed following a sharp exchange over remarks made by the NEF. The NEF had issued a statement suggesting that the North erred in voting for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election. In response, Matawalle dismissed the NEF as a “political paperweight.”
Dr. Baba-Ahmed did not take the comment lightly. He argued that rather than discrediting the NEF, the minister could have chosen to highlight the accomplishments of northern appointees in Tinubu’s government.
“Scathing criticism of NEF by the junior minister of defence, Matawalle, is ill-advised. He could have done a better job for this administration if he identified contributions of especially northern ministers and other appointees like me to improving security and reducing poverty in the North,” Baba-Ahmed wrote.
Matawalle swiftly countered, pointing to Baba-Ahmed’s ties to the NEF and questioning his loyalty to the Tinubu administration.
“Dr Baba-Ahmed’s relationship and affinity with the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) is well known,” the minister said. “As an appointee of this administration, it is his responsibility to work for its success, protect and defend the government against unjust and vicious attacks from those who hide under ethnic and other primordial interests to heat up the polity for myopic reasons.”
He further asserted: “Every appointee of President Tinubu, including Dr. Baba-Ahmed, owes the government a duty to promote, elucidate, and advance its good works and commendable efforts across all sectors.
“As appointees from the North, we must take a stand, be unequivocal, and be counted among those working for the success of this administration. This is not the time to keep quiet in the face of intimidation and misrepresentation of the efforts and achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Matawalle stressed.
A Long Career in Public Service
Born on September 11, 1955, in Kaduna State, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed is a seasoned civil servant and statesman. He began his career in academia as a lecturer at the University of Sokoto (now Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto) before transitioning into public service.
He joined the Kaduna State Civil Service and later moved to the Federal Civil Service, where he rose to the rank of Permanent Secretary. Over the years, he held key roles, including in the Presidency, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and as Secretary to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He also served as Secretary to the Kaduna State Government.
Baba-Ahmed holds degrees from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, the London School of Economics, and the University of Sussex. He earned a PhD and was conferred with the national honour of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR).
Prior to his appointment to the presidency, he was the Director of Publicity and Advocacy for the NEF. Known for his reformist stance and principled advocacy, Baba-Ahmed frequently spoke out on issues affecting Northern Nigeria and the broader nation.
His resignation may mark the end of a controversial but impactful chapter within the Tinubu administration’s political advisory circle.
