A former Special Adviser on Political Affairs to Vice President Kashim Shettima, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has expressed strong criticism of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership, describing his tenure as the “worst in Nigeria’s history.”

In an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Thursday, Baba-Ahmed accused Buhari of prioritising the office over governance and lamented the administration’s failures.

Naija News reports that Baba-Ahmed, who had initially supported Buhari’s rise to power, shared his disillusionment with the administration.

He noted that while many Nigerians supported Buhari over former President Goodluck Jonathan, expecting him to be tough on corruption and capable of unifying the country, he was disappointed by the reality of his leadership.

“Buhari didn’t represent the north. We saw in Buhari a better option, not because he was a northerner, but because at the time, he seemed a better choice than Goodluck Jonathan,” Baba-Ahmed said.

He continued, “We thought he’d be tough on corruption and could unify the country, because Jonathan was soft on Boko Haram, etc. But he turned out to be the opposite.”

Baba-Ahmed did not hesitate to label Buhari’s presidency as the worst in Nigerian history. Drawing on his 70 years of experience, he explained that Buhari’s government lacked attention to governance and failed to prioritise the welfare of the poor.

“I don’t think we have had a government that is worse than that of Buhari, from my experience — I’m 70 years old — yes. I haven’t seen a government that governed less, cared less for the poor, or failed more at setting priorities,” Baba-Ahmed stated.

Reflecting on his initial support for Buhari, Baba-Ahmed admitted that he had high hopes for the administration, but soon realised the President’s focus was more on the prestige of the office than on delivering meaningful governance.

“I was active in his campaign. I chaired his party in my state for four years. But months into his presidency, we saw he was more interested in being president than actually governing.

“We started with private advice, then moved to public criticism when it became clear he wouldn’t listen,” he revealed.

When asked about his time in the Tinubu administration, Baba-Ahmed stated that although he had no regrets joining the government, he would not make the same decision again given the current trajectory of the leadership.

“No, I don’t regret going in. But given the current trajectory, I wouldn’t do it again. I didn’t see the fire, the commitment, the zeal to fix a broken country. I saw more of a façade,” he remarked.

Baba-Ahmed pointed out that while President Bola Tinubu made bold promises during the 2023 elections, such as removing subsidies and implementing tough reforms, he found that these actions were not supported by adequate preparation.

“Nigerians voted for Tinubu in 2023 hoping he’d fix the country. He removed subsidies and promised tough reforms, but he wasn’t truly prepared. His advisers are scrambling to fix problems after they emerge. There’s a major disconnect between rhetoric and reality,” Baba-Ahmed explained.

Baba-Ahmed also raised concerns about the growing insecurity in the country, particularly in states such as Niger, Plateau, and Benue.

He criticised the government’s failure to address the escalating violence, even as it released conflicting statistics claiming a reduction in violence.

“Go to Niger, Plateau, Benue — more blood is being shed now than two years ago. Yet, they release statistics claiming there’s less violence. Who gives them these numbers? Do they even know how Nigerians are living?” he asked.

Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, has refuted allegations made by the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Atiku Abubakar Isah, describing them as an attempt to defame his character.

Reacting in an Instagram post on Friday, Seyi stated, “Wow.. how can someone lie with so much confidence…?? Wow wow… an attempt to defame my character. May God be with you, Comrade Atiku Isah.”

In another post, he added, “I have never held a meeting to discuss any subject matter with Comrade Isah in Lagos or anywhere else in the world. I have never knowingly met him before. Neither did I visit any location with thugs.”

“All these allegations made by Atiku Isah are completely fictional.”

The response followed claims made by Isah during a press conference on Wednesday, in which he alleged that Seyi Tinubu and Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, offered him a N100 million bribe in Lagos to promote the president.

According to Isah, he rejected the offer, stating that he could not promote a president who had not delivered results. He claimed that, upon refusal, plans were made to abduct him.

“I was abducted on the 15th of April. I was stripped naked, beaten seriously in collaboration with the MD of NTA… I did that to gain my freedom, but immediately, I released a press statement that I was forced under duress. Because I was naked, I was beaten. They claimed they would share the video,” he alleged.

He further accused unnamed individuals of threatening to cover up any potential fallout, even suggesting that his life could be taken with no consequences.

“They told me that nothing would happen if they shared the video, and even if they killed me, Seyi Tinubu would order a cover-up. Ladoja, who was involved, said he would instruct the Inspector General of Police to cover it up and that if the police didn’t comply, he would go,” Atiku said.

“I made it clear that even if I am shot, I will still come to this hall. The inauguration proceeded, and I was announced as president. I want Nigerians to know what has happened and that we will not give up. Seyi Tinubu can do anything he wants, but we are determined.”

A United States-based activist, Dr. Sandra Duru, also known as Professor Mgbeke, has submitted evidence of phone conversations between her and suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, to relevant authorities in the US and other parts of the world for forensic analysis.

The activist, who made this known during a Facebook live session on Thursday night, while showing some of the evidences, said the conversations revealed the lies behind the sexual harassment allegation levelled against Senate President Godswill Akpabio by Senator Natasha.

She exposed call logs and conversations to debunk Natasha’s claim that she had never spoken to her before.

Duru, popularly called Prof. Mgbeke, added that Natasha offered her N200 million to accuse the Senate President of organ harvesting, linking him with the death of a young girl who died a few years ago when she wasn’t getting anywhere with her sexual harassment allegation.

She called on international security agencies, which she had petitioned, the IPU and the Nigeria Police Force to probe Natasha’s false allegations and what she claimed to know about the murder of Umoren, having kept mute for years before coming out to accuse Akpabio.

The activist and journalist, in her one hour, eight minutes live broadcast, claimed that Natasha was out to destroy men, insisting that the suspended Senator had revealed she had no evidence of harassment against Akpabio.

She said this while displaying call logs and messages sent to her Whatsapp by Natasha.

“One, there is no sexual harassment of any kind, two, there is no evidence of organ harvesting. I told Natasha, you are a pathological liar, you have disgraced us Nigerians. She said Nigerians were G and H – ‘Gullible and Hungry’ and you want to add to their problems?

“I told her to make peace with the Senate members but she insisted that they want to destroy Yoruba government, I don’t know she meant by that.

“A lawyer that is very lousy and careless in her utterances. Natasha is not teachable, Natasha lacks humility, Natasha lacks moral values, she does not care. If it doesn’t go Natasha’s way, you are her enemy. Natasha is on a mission to destroy men… I cannot watch her destroy our men, I cannot watch her destroy our sons, I cannot watch her destroy our girls who are following her blindly. She called Dr Oby Ezekwesili a useful idiot,” Duru revealed.

She added, “The Nigerian Police should handle the case of Natasha and her false allegations. She said she wants to force the Senate President to step down so that they will have their way to remove what they call Yoruba government.

“Umoren died in 2021. Autopsy was done and there was no organ harvesting.

“I already wrote the international agencies about a senator that claimed to have known something about the murder of a young lady and she kept it to herself. She must explain what she knows about the death.

“She said the reason for the fight was not really about the Senate President but it is about the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that they don’t want Yoruba government to go beyond four years. She said no sexual harassment evidence of any kind,” Duru insisted.

According to her, during one of their conversations, Natasha allegedly revealed that she had been promised governorship of Kogi State or Minister of Petroleum Resources if she could accomplish the mission of getting the Senate President out.

The management of Yaba College of Technology (YabaTech) has debunked the allegation that it was involved in illegal deductions from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) from their students.

Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr. Adekunle Adams, stated that the management was not involved in illegal deductions or exploitation of the students.

LEADERSHIP recalls that YabaTech was mentioned among other 50 institutions allegedly involved in illegal deductions and exploitation of students after the NELFUND fund disbursement.

The errant institutions allegedly deduct between N3,500 and N30,000 off each student’s institutional fee that was submitted and received from NELFUND.

NELFUND and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) had accused these institutions of engaging in “deceptive practices” by collecting institutional fees from the government without refunding the full value to students at the point of disbursement.

They also accused the schools of lacking transparency, for allegedly refusing to disclose disbursement records.

In denying the allegation, Adams stated as untrue the accusations that the college refused to disclose disbursement from NELFUND while insisting that students should pay were not true.

Adams described the allegation as an attempt to malign the foremost institution and disrepute its allegiance to the federal government.

According to him, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has not been able to trace the money in the bank statements of the college.

He added that a high ranking officer of the college who was at the CBN on April 30, 2025 for further enquiry and monitoring of the payment came with the report that the CBN checked through the school’s bank statements but could not find the inflow.

“It must also be noted that accounting procedures and processes must be duly followed in every financial transaction before payment could be made, which Yaba College of Technology is championing and will not compromise,” Adams posited.

He stressed that the purported amount said to have been paid to the college was under verification by the CBN and yet to be credited the institution.

Adams said the institutional fees has not reflected in the account of the college while the list of the beneficiaries sent to the college is under verification.

“The college will, however, begin the payment of refund as appropriate, as soon as the payment hits the college account, and reconciled with the list of the beneficiaries as there must be cash backing for any payment to be made,” Adams submitted.

He appealed to the concerned students of the college to exercise patience and allow due diligence to be carried out, pledging that payment will be made as soon it gets to the college account.

Nigerian businessman, Emeka Okonkwo, popularly known as E-Money, has reacted following his release by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged currency abuse.

E-Money was reportedly picked up from his Lagos home and flown to Abuja for questioning after viral videos showed him spraying money at public events — a direct violation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s cash handling laws. He was later released the same day.

In a post made shortly after his release, E-Money shared a video of himself and warned people to spray money in a basket or bowl at events.

He wrote;

“Attention! The EFCC reminds us: Spraying Naira (or any currency) at parties/events is against the law! Let’s celebrate responsibly and avoid fines. Respect our currency!”

He added;

“If you must give money at a party, make sure you put it in a basket or in a bowl or container in front of the person... Ignorance is not going to be an excuse.”

The post sparked mixed reactions, with some commending his composure and others criticizing the EFCC for selective enforcement.

This arrest adds to a growing list of public figures who have come under scrutiny for the lavish display of cash at events.

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Nigerian businessman, Pascal Okechukwu, popularly called Cubana Chief Priest has issued a stern warning to people spraying money at events.

In an Instagram post, he wrote;

“If you are famous, if you are a well known business man with address, please don’t spray money. EFCC are not joking on this.”

Chief Priest, who confessed he “nearly go jail last year,” advised fellow celebrities to rethink their party habits. “Me I no go ever spray again whether dollar, euro, Naira or pounds,” he added.

This comes just days after public figure  E-Money were reportedly picked up by the EFCC for naira abuse.

Trampling or spraying money at events — often seen as a cultural flex — is now getting serious attention from authorities.

He didn’t hold back about the consequences either:

“If you already have an invitation letter from the EFCC, please go and honor it... If you spray money, EFCC must come for you.”

Chief Priest says he's now focused on “another type of doings” to shut down events, minus the bundles of cash in the air.

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has urged Nigerians to give President Bola Tinubu a second chance.

Naija News reports that Dogara said the President took courageous decisions for the benefit of the nation’s economy.

Dogara, who was a guest at a public lecture in commemoration of the 65th birthday of Archbishop John Praise, commended the President’s decision on the subsidy.

While noting the hardship Nigerians face daily as a result of the President’s policy, he stated that there is no decision without pain.

“If you look at it, for me it was a courageous decision to do away with subsidy. Now there’s no decision that is not painful.

“I understand the difficulties, the challenges. So many families go to bed at night, you know, hungry. I have seen that.

“This is a time for governance. Let’s give this man an opportunity to perform again for some time, and then we will see what happens. And then we can make our judgments,” he said.

The former Speaker of the House of Reps, however, emphasized the need for Nigerians to be allowed to decide who wins in 2027 election.

“But for me, you know, I want a situation where the President can win by the power of his example, not by the example of his power, to say that I’m forcing myself because I have my hands on the levers of the coercive apparatus of the state. No, but he should win on account that he has done very well and that a lot of people in this country support him.

“And I think he has the opportunity, because some of the reforms he has initiated, it will take courage, and he has demonstrated that courage,” he stated.

Another speaker at the public lecture, John Dara, said the President has demonstrated leadership and courage that has increased revenue to the national coffers.