BREAKING: Baba-Ahmed Resigns From President Tinubu Government

Baba Ahmed, a former spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, was, before his appointment last year as Political Adviser to the President in the Office of the Vice President Kassim Shetima, a strong critic of the Tinubu administration.

 

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Critics of the administration said his appointment was meant to shut him up, as the administration continued to face backlash from not a few Nigerians, particularly from the northern part of the country, for the bad economy and hardship.

 

Prominent northern leaders, including political and traditional leaders, have trenchantly criticised President Tinubu, accusing him of ruining the country’s economy, political instability and insecurity.

 

The former NEF spokesman was said to have resigned from his position because he was fed up with the criticism against him from some Presidency officials who accused him of not defending the administration.

 

They accused him of not working soul and spirit for Tinubu’s administration to justify his appointment.

 

Recall that the Minister of State for Defence, Matawalle, had last year attacked Baba-Ahmed for remaining silent in the face of the attack on President Tinubu by northerners during the #endbadgovernance protest.

 

Matawalle’s attack came after the NEF criticised the President for not doing enough for the region and a rebuff by the minister that northern appointees, including Baba-Ahmed, failed to defend the administration against the allegation.

 

The former NEF spokesman responded by saying that what the administration should have done was showcase its achievements rather than going after critics.

 

Born on September 11, 1955, in Kaduna State, Baba-Ahmed has had a distinguished career in public service. A retired senior civil servant, he previously served as Secretary to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before retirement. He also served as Chief of Staff to former Senate President Bukola Saraki in the 8th Senate.

 

He studied at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, as well as the London School of Economics and the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree.

 

Baba-Ahmed began his career as a lecturer at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, before transitioning into the Kaduna State Civil Service. He later moved to the Federal Civil Service, where he rose to Permanent Secretary, serving in various ministries, including the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

 

He’s a senior brother to the 2023 Labour Party Vice Presidential Candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.