Paul Ibe, spokesman for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has claimed that Ajuri Ngelale’s resignation as President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity has opened the door for Bayo Onanuga, the president’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, and a powerful cabal to dominate the government.
Ibe, accused Onanuga of being an ethnic bigot amid reports of a power struggle between the two media advisers.
Ngelale managed the president’s daily media operations and served as the official spokesperson, while Onanuga was tasked with focusing on major policy issues and providing strategic advice to the president. However, the two often clashed, with Onanuga frequently issuing statements independently, without Ngelale’s consent.
In May, Ngelale publicly refuted one of Onanuga’s announcements concerning the president’s schedule, labeling it “false and unauthorized.” Tensions rose, with insiders claiming that Onanuga “looked down on Ngelale” and found it intolerable to take orders from someone he perceived as junior and inexperienced.
Ibe rejected the idea that health reasons prompted Ngelale’s resignation, insisting they played no role in his decision. Ngelale’s resignation letter, submitted to Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, cited a need to “address urgent medical matters affecting my immediate family.”
In addition to his role as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ngelale also served as a Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action and Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen—roles he struggled to manage amid reports of infighting with Onanuga and challenges related to the administration’s damaged reputation.
Ngelale indicated that his decision to resign followed “significant consultations with my family” due to a worsening medical situation at home, though he did not specify who was ill or the nature of the ailment. New reports suggest that internal conflicts and difficulties in image management played a significant role in his departure.
In response, Ibe remarked that “this will not salvage President Bola Tinubu’s tarnished image or address the dysfunction plaguing his administration,” criticizing Ngelale’s reported “indefinite leave” as “a pathetic face-saving ploy.” He asserted that, contrary to claims of medical reasons, Ngelale’s resignation was a result of “the same bigotry and parapoism that afflict Tinubu’s regime.”
Ibe condemned the Tinubu administration for its “deceit,” suggesting they had misrepresented the circumstances surrounding Ngelale’s exit. “Their habitual dishonesty blurs the line between fact and fiction, making truth elusive,” he stated.
Despite “around 15 media aides already on the payroll,” he emphasized there was no need for new appointments, as any of them could effortlessly step in. He asserted, “No matter how much you dress up a shalanga (pit latrine), it remains foul.”
“Similarly, no PR stunt can fix the stench of the Tinubu administration,” Ibe continued, pointing out that Nigeria is experiencing “its worst cost-of-living crisis in decades, with the naira plummeting, petrol prices soaring, and food inflation exceeding 40%.”
He noted that insecurity remains rampant, attributing it to the administration’s incompetence.
Ibe concluded that “Ngelale’s departure exposes Tinubu’s loss of control, ceding power to a cabal aligned with Bayo Onanuga, whose ethnic bigotry reflects Tinubu’s values far more than Ngelale’s more moderate approach.”
