Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who recently stepped down as Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, has stated that he played no meaningful role during his time in office, describing his tenure as largely inactive.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, Baba-Ahmed explained that although he was appointed to offer political advice through the office of the Vice President, he was not given the opportunity to carry out his responsibilities.
“I didn’t do any advising,” he said. “I was appointed as a political adviser but never functioned in that capacity.”
Expressing disappointment, he said he had hoped to contribute meaningfully but was unable to do so due to the circumstances surrounding his appointment.
Baba-Ahmed also disclosed that he turned down a request to meet with President Tinubu. According to him, he declined the meeting because he planned to speak frankly, including advising the President against seeking re-election—an opinion he believed might not be welcomed.
He criticised both the Tinubu and Buhari administrations for what he described as a decade of neglect toward the South-East region. “Nobody has genuinely cared about the Southeast for the past 10 years,” he said.
Commenting on the general state of the country, Baba-Ahmed said there was a clear disconnect between the government’s portrayal of Nigeria and the actual experiences of ordinary citizens.
“There’s a massive gap between what Tinubu’s team says Nigeria is and the reality Nigerians are facing,” he added.
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