According to Abubakar, President Bola Tinubu knew what he was talking about.
The head of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, recently submitted to President Bola Tinubu his notice of resignation.

Abubakar told State House media about this on Saturday, just after he met with the President. He said he had discussed it with Tinubu, who concurred with him.

Abubakar claimed he was there to ‘brief Mr. President on issues and today is no exception’ during his visit to Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.

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‘I submitted my resignation following the briefing, and Mr. President graciously accepted and approved it.’

Using the occasion, he added, he also expressed his gratitude to Tinubu ‘for providing me with the chance to serve Nigeria under his transformational leadership for a prolonged period of 15 months—an extremely uncommon chance to work for two presidents simultaneously.’

Abubakar pledged to continue his professional devotion to Nigeria even after resigning.

Nothing Crucial

The former head of the NIA claimed there was nothing to be concerned about when asked why he made the unusual choice to step down.

He did not reveal the primary reason for his decision, even though he attributed it to several familial and personal problems.

There are several reasons why someone would act in that manner. Some private, familial matters. However, nothing truly grave.

He said, ‘I talked with Mr. President, and he understood very well. I committed myself to sticking by the nation’s problems and concerns regarding safety.

In 2018, he was named NIA’s director by Former President Muhammadu Buhari, who in December 2021 decided to stay in office longer.

Abubakar, a retired career foreign service officer from Katsina State, is 71 years old. He began working in the Nigerian Foreign Service’s security division in 1993.

He was named senior special assistant to the president (SSAP) for foreign policy and international relations in 2015.

He completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in French at Bayero University in Kano. He speaks English and Arabic with ease as well.