EXPOSED!: Tinubu's Special Adviser on Media, Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Did Not Resign, He Was Sacked, FIJ Investigation Reveals

By:Israel Adeleke

An investigative report by Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) has exposed the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, on his public announcement that he resigned as special adviser to the president Bola Tinubu due to "vexatious medical situation" in his family, was not true, rather, he was fired by the Presidency and only allowed to publicly resign after his repeated pleas for a soft landing.

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News recalls that Ngelale, 38, is a broadcast journalist who made a name for himself with his eloquence and sonorous voice, on Saturday morning had announced his abrupt exit from office, citing his reason as “medical matters presently affecting my immediate, nuclear family”.

He wrote “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 agonising 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 following which he claimed to have voluntarily resigned his appointment till s later time when he hopes he could jump on national service again as "fate permit".

Subsequently, the FIJ investigative report sighted by OTN News reveals that multiple highly-placed sources in and around the presidency told FIJ on Saturday afternoon that Ngelale’s exit was not triggered by a family health emergency, rather, it has direct bearings with his loss in a power tussle with Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.

Shedding more light on the situation, one source who asked not to be named for fear of retribution told FIJ that “Ngelale considered himself untouchable because he had the backing of the president’s son Seyi and Femi Gbajabiamila, the president’s chief of staff” .

“He was fired; I became aware of this on Tuesday, but I won’t rule out the possibility that it happened earlier. When he got the letter, he started to plead to be allowed to resign as a soft landing. He was eventually given a soft landing, which is understandable. News of his sacking in public would have thoroughly embarrassed not just Ngelale but the presidency too.”

Although this source expressed regrets that things eventually got to a head, they conceded that there was no other way out, given Ngelale’s unwillingness to discuss his long-drawn-out feud with Onanuga when the opportunities were presented to him.

“The Ngelale-Onanuga feud was no secret in the villa, so several top appointees and cabinet members attempted to intervene at separate times; and while Onanuga was open to peace talks, Ngelale wasn’t,” the source continued.

“For example, Mohammed Idris Malagi, the minister of information and national orientation, called for talks four times. Onanuga was willing to attend but Ngelale snubbed them all, always claiming he was busy.” the source reportedly explained.

Meanwhile, OTN News reports that in swift response to the ensuing saga of resignation and the investigative report that Chief Ngelale was sacked, the Presidency has on Saturday evening acknowledged the receipt of Ngelale's resignation memo and accepted it accordingly.

As contained in a statement shared on the official X handle of the Presidency , @ NGEPresident as well as on the official X handle of the Nigerian Television Authority, @ NTANewsNow, President Bola Tinubu acknowledged the tireless service of Chief Ngelale to the nation and remarkable contributions in advancing national discourse and the fact that he spearheaded critical initiatives like climate action.

While the President thanks him for his dedication, the statement further requested that the privacy of Ngelale and his family be respected during this challenging time.

OTN News recalls that Chief Ajuri Ngelale was appointed as a Spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu on July 31, 2023.

Ngelale goes down in history as the first Presidential Envoy on Climate Action in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.