Ajuri Ngelale, the special adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on media and publicity, has gone on an “indefinite leave”.
A statement he signed and submitted to the chief of staff to the president, Femi Gbajabiamila, stated that his decision was tied to medical matters presently affecting his immediate nuclear family.
Full list of names of Ajuri Ngelale’s possible replacement surfaces
Some media reports claim Ajuri Ngelale was fired by President Tinubu; others said he resigned. Photos credit: @AjuriNgelale Source: Twitter
Ajuri Ngelale: Possible new presidential spokesman
The development means President Tinubu is now in the hunt for a new spokesman.
Who are the likeliest candidates to replace Ngelale? Legit.ng highlights some names. Check them out below:
1) Tolu Ogunlesi
Ogunlesi is a former special assistant on digital/new media to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
The 42-year-old is a former winner of the Arts and Culture Prize of the defunct CNN Multichoice African Journalism Awards.
2) Bayo Onanuga
Onanuga is the current special adviser on information and strategy to President Tinubu.
He co-founded TheNews magazine and is a former managing director (MD) of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
3) Sunday Akin Dare
Dare served as the minister of youth and sports from 2019 to 2023. He previously held the position of executive commissioner of the stakeholder management at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), having been appointed by then-president, Buhari in August 2016.
Although Dare was widely tipped for appointment as a minister in Tinubu’s first cabinet, he was not chosen.
The 58-year-old is the proprietor of Omoluabi 87.7 FM, Mokola, Ibadan, a radio station he started in January 2024.
4) Tunde Rahman
Rahman is presently the senior special assistant (SSA) on media to President Tinubu.
Rahman was media aide and chief of staff to Tinubu before he was elected president.
