Tinubu Has Failed to Surround Himself With Influential Figures, Laolu Akande Says

Former presidential aide Laolu Akande has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s approach to managing the Presidency, arguing that the President has not surrounded himself with enough influential and capable figures to help him deliver effective governance.

Akande, who served as Senior Media Aide to former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo under the late President Muhammadu Buhari, said Tinubu had yet to deliver his best in office despite the presence of some capable individuals in his administration.

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He made the remarks during an interview on the Naija Unfiltered Podcast, where he questioned the responsibilities of Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila and the reported involvement of Hakeem Muri-Okunola in organising the President’s schedule.

Akande Questions Gbajabiamila’s Performance

Akande argued that the need for Muri-Okunola, Tinubu’s Principal Private Secretary, to help organise the President’s schedule raised questions about the effectiveness of the Chief of Staff’s office.

He suggested that managing the President’s schedule and ensuring the smooth coordination of presidential activities should fall within an effectively functioning Presidency.

“This is the problem. The president has a chief of staff, for instance, even the people in that Villa will tell you that the chief in front of the staff is removed because of all the kinds of stuff that have happened and then the president has to go and bring Hakeem Muri-Okunola (HMO) to be organising his schedule,” Akande said.

He added that the situation, in his view, reflected shortcomings in the performance of the Chief of Staff.

“If the chief of staff was doing his job properly, he wouldn’t need HMO; that’s the truth,” he said.

Akande’s comments amount to a criticism of the internal management of the Presidency. The material provided does not include a response from Gbajabiamila or the Presidency addressing his claims.

Tinubu Yet to Deliver His Best, Akande Claims

Beyond the President’s administrative arrangements, Akande argued that Tinubu had not fully utilised the abilities of the people serving in his government.

He acknowledged that some capable individuals were part of the administration but maintained that they lacked the influence needed to shape decision-making at the highest level.

“So, the president has not managed to give us his best, and there are very good people in this administration. There are good people, few people, but they don’t have that kind of influence that people like Fashola, Osinbajo, Aregbesola, Cardoso,” he said.

The former presidential aide cited Babatunde Fashola, Osinbajo, Rauf Aregbesola and Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Olayemi Cardoso as examples of people whose experience and influence he believes would be valuable around Tinubu.

His argument centred on the importance of having trusted officials who can contribute to major decisions, exercise influence within government and support the President in carrying out his responsibilities.

However, Akande did not, in the remarks provided, identify specific policy decisions that he believed would have been different if the individuals he mentioned had greater influence in the current administration.

Why Fashola, Osinbajo and Aregbesola Were Mentioned

Fashola, Osinbajo and Aregbesola have held prominent political and public-service positions, including governorships and, in Osinbajo’s case, the office of Vice President.

Akande invoked their names to illustrate the kind of political experience and influence he believes Tinubu needs around him.

His comments suggest that, in his assessment, the effectiveness of a presidential administration depends not only on the number of experienced officials it appoints but also on whether those officials have sufficient access to the President and the ability to influence decisions.

The remarks did not establish that the named individuals would necessarily return to government or that they had expressed interest in taking on roles in Tinubu’s administration.

Akande Praises Cardoso’s Work at the CBN

Akande also singled out Cardoso, praising his performance as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

He suggested that Tinubu appeared to give Cardoso room to carry out his responsibilities because of their familiarity with each other.

“The president even doesn’t try to interfere with Cardoso because he knows him. I think they call him Head Master or whatever. He looks everything. The president doesn’t have people like that around him,” Akande said.

The comments presented Cardoso as an example of an official whom Akande believes has been allowed to operate with a degree of independence.

However, the interview remarks alone do not establish the extent of presidential involvement in CBN decisions or provide an independent assessment of the bank governor’s overall performance.

Presidency Management Comes Under Scrutiny

Akande’s criticism places the organisation of the Presidency at the centre of a broader debate about leadership, delegation and the influence of senior officials in government.

The Chief of Staff’s office generally plays a central coordinating role in presidential administration, while the Principal Private Secretary supports the President in matters relating to his private office and official engagements. The precise division of responsibilities can depend on the Presidency’s internal arrangements.

Akande’s argument is that the reported involvement of Muri-Okunola in organising Tinubu’s schedule raises questions about whether the existing management structure is functioning as intended.

The material provided does not contain an official explanation of the arrangements or establish that Muri-Okunola’s involvement represents a formal transfer of responsibilities from the Chief of Staff.

For now, Akande’s remarks remain his assessment of Tinubu’s leadership team and the way the Presidency is managed. Neither the Presidency nor Gbajabiamila is quoted responding to the criticism in the account provided.

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