Nigerian investigative journalist, Jaafar Jaafar has downplayed the status of Ajuri Ngelale, ex-spokesman to President Bola Tinubu, following his resignation on Friday.
Jaafar said Ngelale is the first presidential spokesman whose television face and ‘Oyibo’ accent earned him the plum job.
The ex-spokesman announced his decision to take an indefinite leave of absence from his official duties.
This was contained in a memo submitted to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Friday.
However, in a post on his X handle on Saturday, Jaafar alleged that Tinubu brought Ngelale for cosmetic effect to smarten the President’s geriatric outlook and guttural voice.
He said: “Ajuri Ngelale is the first presidential spokesman whose television face and Oyibo accent — not PR or media expertise — earned him the plum job. Tinubu’s family brought him for cosmetic effect to smarten the president’s geriatric outlook and guttural voice. But soon afterwards, his inflated sense of importance and domineering attitude put him at odds with other powers around the president.”