‘Oyibo accent not expertise earned him role of Tinubu’s spokesman’ – Jaafar Jaafar on Ngelale

Nigerian investigative journalist, Jaafar Jaafar, has criticized Ajuri Ngelale, the former spokesman for President Bola Tinubu, following his resignation on Friday.

Jaafar remarked that Ngelale is the first presidential spokesman to secure the role primarily due to his television presence and foreign accent.

Ngelale had announced his decision to take an indefinite leave from his duties.

This announcement was made in a memo submitted to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Friday.

In a post on his X account, Jaafar further claimed that Tinubu appointed Ngelale for cosmetic purposes, aiming to enhance the President’s image and coarse 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.”