- Rufai Oseni indirectly criticizes unnamed Northern activists for silence after gaining roles in the Tinubu administration, contrasting their previous vocal stance
- Hakeem Baba-Ahmed responds, labeling Oseni a coward for not naming individuals and defending the honourable nature of public service
Rufai Oseni, co-host of the ARISE TV Morning Show, took an indirect swipe at Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, Special Adviser on Political Matters to Vice-President Kashim Shettima, accusing some Northern activists, without explicitly naming anyone, of silence after securing key positions in the Bola Tinubu-led administration.
Oseni suggested that these activists, previously vocal critics of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, had become muted in the face of appointments by the Tinubu administration. Although he didn’t explicitly name Baba-Ahmed, indications pointed to him as one of the targets.
“Some activists from the North are now quiet; the Buhari economic quagmire wasn’t this elevated, but they waxed lyrical and they kept on pounding. Now that they have got advisory positions in government, they are quiet. The man dies when he keeps quiet when we ought to speak,” Oseni tweeted.
In response, Baba-Ahmed labelled Oseni a coward for not specifying individuals in his critique. Baba-Ahmed expressed disappointment, stating that serving the nation should not be a source of shame. He asserted that those involved in addressing Buhari’s challenges are ahead of those, like Oseni, who hide behind microphones.
Quoting the post, Baba-Ahmed wrote: “Pity. One would expect people like you, Oseni, to name names. This is cowardly. It is possible that you do not know that serving the nation is not a source of shame.
“People who are involved in addressing ‘Buhari’s quagmire’ are miles ahead of those like you who hide behind mics.”
The exchange triggered reactions from social media users, with some accusing Baba-Ahmed of feeling guilty despite not being explicitly mentioned by Oseni. The back-and-forth underscores the tensions and differing perspectives within political circles, particularly regarding the roles and actions of Northern activists in the current political landscape.