Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a seasoned political figure and former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, has voiced strong criticism of the current administration, lamenting its failure to uplift the lives of everyday Nigerians or significantly improve governance across the country.
Speaking on Political Paradigm, a current affairs programme aired on Channels Television on Tuesday, Baba-Ahmed described the state of Nigeria as a “tragedy,” and warned that unless the government swiftly reorients its priorities, the nation risks deepening public disillusionment with democratic leadership.
“Clearly, the Tinubu administration has failed expectations that it was going to radically improve the quality of governance,” he said. “If we are going to measure this administration by the quality of life of Nigerians, it has not only failed to meet expectations, it has failed to inspire hope.”
Baba-Ahmed, who also served as spokesperson for the influential Northern Elders Forum (NEF), pointed to the controversial removal of the petrol subsidy as one of the key decisions that has worsened conditions for average citizens. While acknowledging that reinstating the subsidy may be unrealistic, he emphasized that the funds saved must be transparently managed and equitably distributed, especially by state and local governments.
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“There is so much waste, so much abuse of resources and corruption going on,” he lamented. “The President must take responsibility to ensure accountability at all levels of government, especially among governors, many of whom belong to his own party, the APC.”
He called for urgent action to tackle corruption, growing insecurity, and worsening poverty levels, urging the Tinubu administration to invest more in infrastructure and social services that directly impact the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s democratic journey since 1999, Baba-Ahmed expressed deep disappointment, arguing that successive administrations have fared worse than their predecessors.
“Even though we have a democratic system, the key element is missing,” he said. “Leadership should be about service, protection of public resources, and building a nation in the interest of its people. Unfortunately, what we’ve seen is the opposite.”
He described former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s early years as commendable but flawed by his alleged third-term ambitions. He praised the brief tenure of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua as promising but cut short. However, he was more scathing in his assessment of the administrations that followed.
“Jonathan governed badly; President Buhari didn’t govern at all,” Baba-Ahmed declared. “Now, we have a president who began his tenure on the premise of entitlement, ‘it’s my turn’. Two years on, the record speaks for itself.”
He criticized the Tinubu administration for placing too much emphasis on international ratings and economic statistics while neglecting the lived realities of Nigerians.
“They will tell you they are doing great with World Bank figures and international rankings, but governance should be measured by how citizens live. And by that measure, the administration has failed.”
Beyond policies, Baba-Ahmed traced Nigeria’s problems to the values of those who lead. “Our leadership crisis is rooted in selfishness. Those who seek power often do so for personal gain, not for the good of the people,” he said. “Even in the best environment, leaders with such values would still produce the kind of results we see now.”
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