Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the special adviser on political matters to Vice President Kashim Shettima, has resigned from his position.
Baba-Ahmed, a former spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), reportedly submitted his resignation two weeks ago, citing personal reasons.
Baba-Ahmed was appointed to his role in September 2023 by President Bola Tinubu.
He has been a prominent figure in Nigerian politics, serving as chief of staff to former Senate President Bukola Saraki from 2017 to 2019.
His resignation comes after a public confrontation with Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence, over the Northern Elders Forum.
Matawalle had described the NEF as a “political paperweight” after the group stated that the north made a mistake voting for Tinubu in 2023.
Baba-Ahmed responded by criticizing Matawalle’s comments, saying it would have been better for the minister to list his achievements instead of attacking the NEF.
The exchange highlighted tensions within the ruling party and the challenges faced by the Tinubu administration.
