Contrary to initial reports linking the resignation of Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed from the government of President Bola Tinubu to a burgeoning northern plot to determine the outcome of 2027 presidential election, authoritative sources close to the development said plot against Tinubu’s reelection did not feature at all in Baba-Ahmed’s considerations.
THE CONCLAVE learnt from a grapevine that Baba-Ahmed, who was appointed as Political Adviser by President Tinubu and deployed in the Office of the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, was only unhappy with how some presidency officials and outsiders have made his office irrelevant.
That disposition, as learnt, also partly stemmed from unconfirmed reports about saddling the Vice President with minimal official responsibilities which has been somewhat interpreted in some circles as sidelining the number two man and reducing his visibility in the public space.
A source said that Baba-Ahmed, a retired Permanent Secretary, former political adviser to Bukola Saraki as Senate President and spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum, had wanted to resign since last year.
The source stated that the Vice President tried his level best to prevail on him, not to resign. The effort dragged into about three weeks ago when Baba-Ahmed could no longer be restrained.
THE CONCLAVE learnt that Baba-Ahmed’s plan is to go back to scholarship to gain more knowledge through impartation of shared knowledge in the classroom as an academic.
Baba-Ahmed turns 70 on September 11, this year, and one of the sources hinted THE CONCLAVE that he is more inclined to concentrate on quiet personal endeavours especially in academics, that impact society positively and create legacies for posterity.
Recall that before joining the Tinubu government, Baba-Ahmed was not only a spokesperson of the Northern Elders Group (NEG) but was also an associate professor of politics at Baze University, Abuja.
