Reactions As Ajuri Ngelale Quits As Tinubu’s Spokesman

Reactions have continued to trail the controversial decision by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu to proceed on indefinite leave to enable him attend to compelling medical maters in his family.
While some commentators alleged that he was forced to resign because of frictions with other members of the President’s kitchen cabinet, others said he could no longer take the heat that comes with being the presidential spokesman in a period of government failure and policy somersaults.
Ngelale, 38, a broadcast journalist, was the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo before his appointment as Official Presidential Spokesman and Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity. He was also appointed as Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, and Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen.
His mother is a German-American and he spent most of his growing up years in the United States. Though he was largely not seen as a politician, he comes from a Nigerian family with a long political history. His father, Precious Ngelale, was a two-time minister in the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo. He was also a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly in the Second Republic before he was appointed a commissioner by the Melford Okilo administration during his second term.
His grandfather, the late Chief Micah Ngelale, was second Chairman of Eleme County Council and Paramount Ruler of Ekporo Community in Eleme Local Government Area.
In his press statement last Saturday, he said he has stepped down from all the positions he held in the Presidency and was proceeding on an indefinite leave of absence. The text of the press statement said,
“On Friday, I submitted a memo to the Chief of Staff to the President informing my office that I am proceeding on an indefinite leave of absence to frontally deal with medical matters presently affecting my immediate, nuclear family.
“While I fully appreciate that the ship of state waits for no man, this agonizing decision – entailing a pause of my functions as the Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity and Official Spokesperson of the President; Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, and Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen – was taken after significant consultations with my family over the past several days as a vexatious medical situation has worsened at home.
“I look forward to returning to full-time national service when time, healing, and fate permit.
“I respectfully ask for some privacy for my family and I during this time.”
Responding to his memo to step down, the Presidency has issued a letter accepting his proposal and wishing him luck in his future endeavours.
As fallout of his resignation, many commentators had tried to speculate on why Ajuri quit his job. A certain Mohammed Gambo, whose identity is yet to be verified, writing on the title, Ajuri Ngelale, An Affliction Tinubu Finally Got Rid Of, accused him of unbridled ambition and incompetence. It is an article that has gone viral but has been criticized as the creation of Ajuri’s haters in the presidential media team that felt uncomfortable with his closeness to the President.
In one reaction, senior journalist, Emeka Madunagu, debunked claims that he was actually fired as President Tinubu’s spokesman. “All these rubbish flying about that he was sacked just shows how desperate some old hags are to replace him.
“They try to pin the very vices that define them on someone who has left the job for them. Ajuri was even more professional than some other fellows on the team. He was never a tribal bigot,” Madunagu said.
Former senator, Shehu Sani said, “Ajuri can now rest well, eat well, switch off his phone and even add some weight.”