Tinubu Approves Six Special Advisers, 12 Other Aides for Shettima

•Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, Rukiya El-Rufai among appointees

Deji Elumoye and Chuks Okocha in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of 18 Special Advisers and Senior Special Assistants, seconded to the office of the vice president, Kashim Shettima, to enable him actualise the agenda of the federal government across the different sectors of the economy.

The team, according to a release yesterday by Director of Information in the office of the vice president, Olusola Abiola, made up of six Special Advisers and 12 Senior Special Assistants, will work in Shettima’s office, and support the “Renewed Hope” agenda of the Tinubu administration.

Those appointed included Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who was made Special Adviser on Political Matters. He is the elder brother of Labour Party vice presidential candidate in the February 25 general election, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.

The other appointees were Rukaiya El-Rufai, Special Adviser to the President on NEC and Climate Change; Tope Kolade Fasua, Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters; Aliyu Modibbo Umar, Special Adviser, General Duties; Jumoke Oduwole, Special Adviser to the President on PEBEC and Investment; and Sadiq Wanka, Special Adviser to the President on Power Infrastructure.

Others were Usman Mohammed, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Office Coordination; Kingsley Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications; Ishaq Ahmed Ningi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital Media and Emergency Management; Peju Adebajo, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Investment and Privatisation; Mohammed Bulama, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political/Special Duties; Kingsley Uzoma, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Agribusiness and Productivity Enhancement; Gimba Kakanda, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Research and Analytics; and Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Job Creation and MSMEs.

Also appointed were Nasir Yammama, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Innovation; Zainab Yunusa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on NEC; Mariam Temitope, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Regional Development Programmes; and Bashir Maidugu, Deputy State House Counsel (Senior Special Assistant to the President).

Meanwhile, Baba-Ahmed accepted his appointment as Special Advisers (Political Matters).

Baba-Ahmed, who is the spokesperson of Northern Elders Forum (NEF), and former Chief of Staff to the President of the Ninth Senate, confirmed the appointment and his acceptance, saying this is not the time to be “fence-sitting”.

He said on X, formerly Twitter, “It is time to make it public that I have accepted the call to serve as Special Adviser (Political) to the VP, @KShettim.

“This is not the time for fence-sitting or criticism, when you can be useful in turning the country round. I am honoured and humbled. Please, pray for me and Nigeria.”