
Former Political Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, on Thursday disclosed said Atiku Abubakar was one of the busiest Vice Presidents in Nigeria’s history.
Baba-Ahmed, however, said Atiku became redundant during the second term of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.
In an interview on TVC, he noted that Nigerian Presidents usually pick good Vice Presidents but they (Vice Presidents) become redundant while in office.
He said: “Our Presidents pick very good people to become their deputies and they become redundant.
“In his first term, Atiku was one of the busiest VP we ever had but in his second term he wasn’t.
“Obasanjo became a President, his background was military and he had a politician – Atiku was actually elected as a governor in Adamawa State but had to give up his governorship to become a Vice President.”
Baba-Ahmed disclosed that the former Vice President is an exposed and hardened politician.
He said Obasanjo initially saddled Atiku with huge responsibilities during their first term but things changed during their second term.
Baba-Ahmed added: “He (Atiku) was an exposed, hardened politician who knew the system and Obasanjo delegated a huge amount of responsibilities to him and I think he did competently well.
“But somewhere along the line, within the first and second term, I think something happened that affected their relationship and he ended up being a very idle Vice President for the rest of the second term.
“The politics of managing the Vice President’s office is very complex, too many people read meanings into it and for me it boils down to the disposition of the President, the chemistry between the President and the Vice President, and sometimes, it’s up to the mischief of people close to the President.”
‘Atiku was busiest VP in Nigeria’s history but became redundant’ – Hakeem Baba-Ahmed