Aliyu Audu, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Public Affairs, has resigned from his position, raising questions about the political direction of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). His resignation was conveyed in a letter dated June 8, addressed through the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
In his letter, Audu thanked President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve. “I write to formally tender my resignation… effective immediately,” the letter read. He also appreciated former presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, whose recommendation led to his appointment in August 2023. “It has been an honour to contribute to the public communication efforts of this administration,” he said. Audu added, “Please accept the assurances of my highest esteem and continued prayers for the success of your leadership and the progress of our beloved nation.”
In a public statement that followed the resignation, Audu gave a clearer insight into his reasons for leaving. He said the decision was not out of defiance but of principle and personal conviction. He expressed discomfort with what he described as efforts to weaken political opposition in the country.
“Though I do not align with the PDP, I refuse to be used directly or indirectly as an instrument to reduce Nigeria to a one-party state,” he said. “That would be a betrayal of both divine favour and democratic principle.”
Audu criticised the government’s handling of opposition voices, warning against the risk of political intolerance. He said, “If we now begin to silence or crush opposition simply because we have the upper hand, then we are no different from the very system we once criticised under Obasanjo in 2003.”
He stressed that democracy must be based on ideological differences and open competition, not political control or dominance. Suppressing dissent, he warned, was both “politically reckless” and “spiritually dangerous.”
Audu noted that while he still supports some of President Tinubu’s economic reforms, he could no longer go along with the administration’s political choices. Central to his discontent is what he called the “unholy alliance” between President Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
“We just differ on political views as I pride myself with being a progressive and a promoter of democratic values, which seems to be lost in the unholy alliance of PBAT with Wike,” he said.
