Another Tinubu’s aide quits
Alhaji Aliyu Audu, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Public Affairs, has resigned from his position. Audu’s resignation letter dated June 8 was addressed to the President through the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila. He becomes the second presidential aide to step down from the current administration this year. In April, Dr […]
another tinubu’s aide quits
Alhaji Aliyu Audu, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Public Affairs, has resigned from his position.
Audu’s resignation letter dated June 8 was addressed to the President through the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
He becomes the second presidential aide to step down from the current administration this year. In April, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed resigned his position as Special Adviser on Political Matters in the office of the Vice President.
In his resignation letter, Audu wrote: “I write to formally tender my resignation as Senior Special Assistant to the President, effective immediately.”
He thanked President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve the country under what he described as “your visionary leadership,” and also expressed gratitude to former presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, whose recommendation led to his appointment.
“It has been an honour to contribute to the public communication efforts of this administration,” he added.
Audu concluded the letter by offering prayers for the President’s success and the nation’s progress, stating: “Please accept the assurances of my highest esteem and continued prayers for the success of your leadership and the progress of our beloved nation.”
One-party state agenda, Wike listed as reasons
Speaking to Daily Trust after his resignation, Audu cited growing discomfort with the administration’s political direction and a perceived effort to stifle opposition as the primary reasons for his decision.
He expressed concern over what he described as “an emerging attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party state,” and said the alliance between President Tinubu and the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, contradicted his ideals as a progressive and promoter of democratic values.
Audu clarified that he was not defecting to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but noted that the political posture of the current administration was not conducive for democracy to thrive.
While commending Tinubu’s economic reforms, Audu said his resignation was driven purely by political and democratic concerns. “My resignation is not an act of rebellion but of conscience,” he said.
“Though I do not align with the PDP, I refuse to be used—directly or indirectly—as an instrument to reduce Nigeria to a one-party state. That would be a betrayal of both divine favour and democratic principle.
“After all that God has done for us as a nation, especially in these times, we owe it to Him and to posterity to uphold values that reflect justice, balance, and liberty. True democracy thrives on healthy competition, not political domination.
“If we now begin to silence or crush opposition simply because we have the upper hand, then we are no different from the very system we once criticised under [former President] Obasanjo in 2003. Such a path is not only politically reckless; it is spiritually dangerous.
“Suppressing alternative voices is not leadership—it is regression. And it runs contrary to the divine order, which upholds freedom of choice and diversity of thought. God, in His wisdom, allows even belief and disbelief to coexist. Why then should we, mere mortals, fear ideological pluralism?
“Let us build a Nigeria where our strength lies not in uniformity, but in the maturity to compete with ideas, vision, and integrity. Only then can we truly say we are progressing. May Allah (SWT) forgive us our shortcomings and direct us on the path of righteousness.”
He added: “I will continue to support the government—not just because I helped bring it in, but because I believe in the successes recorded on the economic front. We just differ on political views, as I pride myself on being a progressive and a promoter of democratic values, which seem lost in the unholy alliance between President Tinubu and Wike.”
It would be recalled that Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the former Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters in the office of the Vice President, also resigned earlier this year, citing concerns about the administration’s commitment to tackling Nigeria’s most urgent challenges.
In a television interview following his resignation, Baba-Ahmed stated that the Tinubu administration lacked the political will to address widespread poverty and persistent insecurity, two issues he described as fundamental to national stability.
The former spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) said the administration no longer carried the mandate or the moral credibility to deliver meaningful change. He noted that remaining in his role would conflict with his principles.
Baba-Ahmed also stressed that he did not wish to be perceived as a political opportunist moving between parties for personal gain. Rather, he said, his resignation reflected a conscious decision to maintain personal integrity and speak honestly about governance challenges.
It’s a blow to presidency – Analyst
While efforts to get a reaction to the resignation from the presidency were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report, Dr. Abubakar Kari, a political analyst, described the resignation as a significant moral blow to the presidency.
Kari described the resignation as “refreshing,” noting that it demonstrates that some public officials in Nigeria are still driven by principles, even when it means stepping away from power.
“It means that some people still operate on the basis of principles, that they are opposed to the direction of the government or certain actions or individuals within it, and they found the operating environment not to be consistent with their beliefs,” he said.
Dr. Kari emphasized that such actions challenge the widespread notion that Nigerian politics lacks moral conviction. He lauded Audu’s decision as a positive example in a political landscape often accused of rewarding blind loyalty over integrity.
“This goes against the grain that Nigerian politics is completely bereft of principle,” he said. “It means that not everybody is willing to stay in an environment that violates their convictions.”
However, Kari warned that Audu’s resignation carries negative implications for the presidency.
“It’s a blow to the presidency, anyway. It’s a blow, because anytime any organization or unit of government loses an official, it’s a moral blow,” he stressed.
While some may dismiss Audu’s exit as inconsequential, citing the numerous aides in similar roles, Kari argued that resignations based on principle are damaging to the image of any government, particularly one that claims to be inclusive and accommodating.
“From the point of view of propaganda, such things are not good for the presidency especially if people are resigning because they don’t believe in what is going on,” he said. “It’s a dent on a government that has been projecting itself as inclusive, where people are supposedly joining in and not pulling out.”