Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has resigned from his position, according to Daily Trust reports.
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Impeccable sources within the presidency confirmed that the former spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) tendered his resignation about two weeks ago. However, as of the time of filing this report, it remained unclear whether the presidency had officially accepted his resignation.
According to sources, Dr. Baba-Ahmed did not provide specific reasons for his decision, stating only that it was based on personal grounds.
Appointed in September 2023 as Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Office of Vice President Kashim Shettima, Baba-Ahmed played a key role in representing the presidency at public engagements. Over the past 17 months, he participated in several high-profile events, including the National Conference on Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy, which was held in Abuja from January 28 to 29, 2025.
Dr. Baba-Ahmed’s time in office was not without controversy. A notable instance was his public disagreement with the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, over comments regarding the Northern Elders Forum (NEF).
In April 2024, Matawalle took a swipe at Baba-Ahmed, criticizing northern appointees who, according to him, remained silent in the face of what he described as intimidation or misrepresentation of the Tinubu administration.
The tension between both officials escalated after Baba-Ahmed opposed Matawalle’s dismissal of the NEF as a “political paperweight.” The minister had made the remark in response to NEF’s claim that the North had made a mistake by voting for President Tinubu in 2023.
Baba-Ahmed argued that instead of attacking the NEF, the minister should have highlighted the achievements of northern ministers and other appointees.
“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, in turn, insisted that government appointees had a duty to defend the administration they served.
“Dr. Baba-Ahmed’s relationship and affinity with the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) is well known. As an appointee of this administration, it is his responsibility to work for its success and protect 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 said.
The minister further stressed that “every appointee of President Tinubu, including Dr. Baba-Ahmed, owes the government a duty to promote, elucidate, and advance its good works across all sectors.”
Born on September 11, 1955, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed is a retired senior civil servant and elder statesman from Kaduna State. A practising Muslim, he has held several prominent positions in public service and governance.
Baba-Ahmed earned his education from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, the London School of Economics, and the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree.
He began his career as a lecturer at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (formerly the University of Sokoto) before joining the Kaduna State Civil Service. He later transferred to the Federal Civil Service, where he rose to the rank of Permanent Secretary.
Throughout his career, Baba-Ahmed served in various senior government roles, including:
- Permanent Secretary in the Presidency
- Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- Secretary to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
- Secretary to the Kaduna State Government
Recognized for his contributions to governance, he was awarded the national honour of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR).
Before his appointment in Tinubu’s administration, Baba-Ahmed was Director of Publicity and Advocacy for the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), where he was vocal on national issues, particularly policies affecting the North.
His resignation marks the latest shake-up in the Tinubu administration, raising questions about potential internal tensions within the government.
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