In a stinging assessment of the current administration, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Political Matters, has declared that Nigeria has deteriorated significantly since the President took office in 2023.
Speaking during a candid interview on Trust TV this Tuesday, Baba-Ahmed suggested that the gap between the administration’s promises and the reality on the ground has become impossible to ignore—even for the President himself.
Baba-Ahmed, who previously served within the presidency, did not mince words regarding the escalating crises across the nation. He highlighted that despite the “Renewed Hope” agenda, the security situation has spiraled out of control.
“We are in deeper trouble than when you came. Violence is becoming a lot more serious than we anticipated,” Baba-Ahmed stated. “Three years into President Tinubu’s presidency, we’re seeing an escalation in the pattern of violence and its magnitude and impact on our people that we’ve never seen before.”
According to Baba-Ahmed, the failure to meet these targets is so evident that “the President himself would admit that he has failed.”
One of the most pointed critiques during the interview centered on the President’s recent diplomatic activities. Baba-Ahmed contrasted the “festive” atmosphere of the President’s recent state visit to the United Kingdom with the bloodshed occurring at home.
The former aide lamented the timing of the trip, which saw a massive entourage of ministers and officials travel abroad just days after horrendous attacks in Borno State.
“It occurred at a moment when, in just a few days earlier, there were one of the most horrendous attacks in Borno State… It was a very festive event, from the media reports, very happy event,” he said, suggesting a disconnect between the government’s priorities and the suffering of the Nigerian people.
Baba-Ahmed’s comments reflect a growing sentiment among critics and even former allies who argue that the administration’s policies have yet to yield the promised relief. As inflation remains high and banditry persists in the North, the pressure on the Tinubu administration to pivot its strategy continues to mount.
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