A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has made a surprising revelation during a television interview, saying that President Bola Tinubu personally approached him four different times with a request to work for his government—but he declined each time.
Speaking during an appearance on AIT on Wednesday, Galadima explained that his decision to refuse the president’s offer was based on a long-standing personal relationship, which made it difficult for him to serve under Tinubu in good conscience.
“Maybe because of my relationship with him, I thought that I can’t look at him straight in the eyes and tell him what is right,” Galadima said during the broadcast.
The NNPP chieftain shared that the most recent offer came during a high-profile event—the burial ceremony of the mother of media mogul Nduka Obaigbena. Galadima recounted how Tinubu approached him directly at the gathering and asked him once again to join his team. According to Galadima, the president repeated the request four times, but he firmly turned it down each time.
In addition to this, Galadima shared a more personal story involving his children. He disclosed that two of his daughters had contacted President Tinubu via phone to express their struggles in securing jobs amid Nigeria’s ongoing economic difficulties. Galadima said Tinubu responded to their call and managed to help both daughters get employment.
This, however, didn’t influence Galadima’s stance on refusing to work for the Tinubu administration. He noted that although he appreciated the gesture, it did not change his political views or personal convictions.
Galadima also compared this experience with how his daughter was treated under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. According to him, she worked for four years in the office of former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo without receiving any salary.
