In a dramatic political twist that has sent ripples through Nigeria’s corridors of power, Aliyu Audu, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Bola Tinubu, has tendered his resignation, citing a sharp deviation from democratic ideals and raising alarms over what he called an “unholy alliance” between the President and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Audu, in a resignation letter dated June 8, 2025, and addressed through the Office of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, warned of an increasingly dangerous political atmosphere that threatens to reduce Nigeria to a de facto one-party state under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
> “Though I do not align with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), I refuse to be used directly or indirectly as an instrument to reduce Nigeria to a one-party state. That would be a betrayal of both divine favor and democratic principle,” Audu declared.
In a stirring personal statement accompanying the letter, Audu stressed that his departure was driven not by partisan defection but by conscience and principle. He maintained that his resignation was a stand for true progressive values, which he believes are being compromised by recent political developments in the ruling party.
Despite reaffirming his support for the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms — which he described as “commendable” — Audu took issue with the President’s political embrace of Wike, a former PDP chieftain whose controversial influence in the APC continues to raise eyebrows among party loyalists and political observers alike.
> “We simply differ on political ideology,” he wrote. “I pride myself on being a progressive and a promoter of democratic values, which now seem to be lost in the unholy alliance of PBAT (President Bola Ahmed Tinubu) with Wike.”
Audu decried what he perceives as a gradual erosion of ideological diversity, urging the nation’s leadership to preserve the pluralism and openness essential to a thriving democracy. He warned that silencing dissenting voices and engineering alliances purely for political expediency signals a dangerous regression.
> “Suppressing alternative voices is not leadership — it’s a descent into authoritarianism. True leadership celebrates diversity of thought, embraces ideological competition, and respects freedom of choice — the very essence of democracy and divine order,” he stated.
In his formal letter, Audu expressed deep gratitude to President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve, and acknowledged Ajuri Ngelale, the former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, for nominating him for the role in August 2023, with official appointment granted in October 2023.
> “It has been an honour to contribute to the public communication efforts of this administration,” he wrote. “Please accept the assurances of my highest esteem and continued prayers for the success of your leadership and the progress of our beloved nation.”
Audu’s exit, while respectful in tone, sends a clear and bold message: a call for Nigeria to reclaim its democratic soul, guard against creeping autocracy, and return to the ideals that birthed the Fourth Republic — where the contest of ideas, not personal allegiances, shapes governance.
As the political class reacts to this unexpected resignation, all eyes are now on the Presidency and the APC leadership to respond — if not in word, then in action.
PIONEER NEWS 