Mohammed Badaru has stepped down as Minister of Defence, effective immediately. In a letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu and dated Monday, December 1, Badaru cited health concerns as the reason for his resignation, as reported by Legit.
Following this announcement, Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to the president on information and strategy, confirmed that President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and expressed gratitude for Badaru’s contributions to the country.
1) Aliyu Audu
In June 2025, Aliyu Audu, senior special assistant on public affairs to President Tinubu, resigned from his position. Audu conveyed his decision in a letter dated June 8 and addressed to Tinubu through Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to the president.
Subsequently, Audu disclosed that he resigned from the president’s government to work against his re-election in the coming 2027 elections.
Audu, who was a guest on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ programme, stated that in 2027, it is no longer an “Emi lo kan” (my turn) affair, but a “Gbogbo wa lo kan” (our turn).
2) Hakeem Baba-Ahmed
Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, an aide to President Tinubu, resigned from his position in April. Baba-Ahmed did not provide details of the reasons for his decision, only stating that it was on personal grounds.
The public affairs analyst was appointed special adviser on political matters in the office of Vice President Kashim Shettima in September 2023.
In his role, he has represented the presidency at several public fora, including a recent national conference themed: “Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy: Pathway to Good Governance and Political Integrity”, which held from 28th to 29th January, 2025, in Abuja.
3) Ajuri Ngelale
Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, in September 2024, announced that he was proceeding on “an indefinite leave of absence from office, with immediate effect.”
At the time of his resignation, Ngelale said the decision was taken after consultations with his family over the past several days, “as a vexatious medical situation has worsened at home.”
Legit.ng‘s checks, however, revealed that right from the day he took up the appointment on July 31, 2023, his reign had faced turbulent attacks from some “cabals” very close to the president. It was gathered from those close to the presidency that, but for Tinubu’s initial interventions, Ngelale would not have secured the appointment in the first place.
4) Uche Geoffrey Nnaji
In October, President Tinubu accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, the minister of innovation, science, and technology, following some allegations against him.
President Tinubu appointed Nnaji in August 2023.
He resigned, thanking the president for allowing him to serve Nigeria. The resignation follows a newspaper investigation that claimed Nnaji submitted falsified certificates to President Tinubu during his ministerial appointment.
