Tinubu Held Meetings with Davido, Jandor but Refused to Meet Me – Former Presidential Aide Aliyu Audu

Aliyu Audu, who served as Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Bola Tinubu, has expressed strong disappointment over his inability to gain audience with the President throughout his time in office.

The former SSA on Public Affairs, Aliyu Audu, revealed that despite serving for nearly two years in the administration as one of the president’s spokesmen, he was never granted a personal meeting with Tinubu.

Recently, Audu stepped down from his role, officially resigning a few weeks ago. He criticized President Tinubu for choosing to meet with popular Nigerian musician David Adeleke, professionally known as Davido, and Lagos politician Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, commonly called Jandor, while continuously denying him access.

During a Thursday night interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme, Audu pledged to actively oppose Tinubu’s reelection efforts.

He stated, “I worked for the President for almost two years. I never got the chance to have a face-to-face with him. I was one of his spokespersons, yet he sat down with Davido, who had even insulted him some weeks before, and then also met Jandor, who did not even come second in the Lagos gubernatorial election. It simply does not add up.”

Just days before Audu officially left his position, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State — who is also Davido’s uncle — had paid a courtesy visit to President Tinubu in Lagos.

It is worth remembering that in March, Jandor, who was the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the 2023 Lagos State governorship contest, had also visited the president shortly after leaving the PDP.

Audu’s comments have sparked conversation about how presidential aides are treated, and why celebrity and political connections sometimes seem to take priority over those serving within the inner government circle. Audu’s remarks have highlighted a growing rift between presidential appointees who feel sidelined and the presidency’s preference for high-profile guests and political realignments.