Former Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has voiced serious concern over President Tinubu’s continued silence amid the United States’ recent hard stance toward Nigeria.
In a post shared on his verified Facebook page on Thursday, Baba-Ahmed said the President’s failure to address the nation at such a critical moment sends the wrong signal both at home and abroad.
“If President Tinubu truly has competent advisers and understands the weight of leadership, he should have addressed the nation by now. This is not the time for ministers or aides to speak on his behalf. The President himself should calm the people, explain our position, and tell us what steps he intends to take,” he said.
He warned that Tinubu’s silence “makes the country appear weak, as though we have no voice or direction.”
Reacting to reports that the President might consider travelling to the United States to meet Donald Trump, Baba-Ahmed strongly advised against it. “At this critical moment, Tinubu should not even think of travelling to America to meet Donald Trump. Doing so would only worsen Nigeria’s image. It would be like receiving a slap and then smiling in return,” he remarked.
Baba-Ahmed also criticised the administration’s failure to appoint ambassadors more than a year into office, saying this has weakened Nigeria’s diplomatic presence on the global stage.
“We have said it over and over again — appoint ambassadors! Right now, many countries barely engage with Nigeria because we lack official diplomatic representation. A country without ambassadors is practically invisible in global affairs,” he stated.
He concluded by urging the President to act swiftly. “If Tinubu truly listens to those who care about this nation, he must act now — appoint ambassadors, restore Nigeria’s diplomatic strength, and speak directly to the people he governs,” Baba-Ahmed said.
