The futility of Ahmad Salihijo’s vainglorious journey of self exculpation
By Wada Salihu
The carefully choreographed effort to market Engr. Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad as the “outstanding technocrat” in the Yola North/Yola South/Girei House of Representatives race begins to unravel against the backdrop that the effort neither use facts or available legal frameworks to convince the people.
The move represents another desperate strategy to occupy political office by hook or by crook.
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Beneath the polished media narratives and glowing endorsements, lies a far more troubling reality: a former managing director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) whose tenure ended under the shadow of serious corruption allegations and presidential suspension.
At the heart of the matter is a simple but unavoidable question: should a public official suspended alongside other senior REA executives over an alleged N1.2 billion fraud scandal be entrusted with legislative authority before fully clearing his name through the appropriate legal and anti-corruption institutions?
That question cannot be brushed aside with sponsored newspaper articles, carefully curated and scripted opinion pieces, or orchestrated image-management campaigns.
Under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Salihijo and top REA officials were suspended for the alleged misappropriation of the said sum.
No doubt the action of the president must be the outcome of heightened scrutiny into the financial activities and operations of the agency, with allegations serious enough to trigger intervention.
In a political climate where many public scandals are quietly ignored or politically managed, the decision to suspend the REA leadership is a strong signal that the issues raised could not simply be dismissed or swept under the carpet.
For many Nigerians, that alone is a cause for concern.
Yet rather than confronting the allegations openly through transparent legal and institutional processes, Salihijo’s supporters have launched what increasingly appears to be a coordinated public relations offensive aimed at rehabilitating his image ahead of the 2027 elections.
The strategy relied heavily on flattering essays, rave reviews, paid media narratives, and exaggerated portrayals of competence designed to create the impression that he has already been vindicated. But despite the relentless media hype, sympathy can never replace legal exoneration.
If Salihijo genuinely believes he has been unfairly accused or fully cleared, then the appropriate institutions exist to establish that fact. He can revert back to agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), relevant National Assembly oversight committees, the Presidency and the courts to give him a clean bill of health. That is how accountability works in a democracy and anything short of transparent institutional clearance inevitably leaves him deeper in the mud.
Indeed, the aggressive push for elective office while still burdened by unresolved allegations only deepens concerns among many citizens.
Nigerians have repeatedly witnessed situations where politically exposed individuals seek elective positions not necessarily to serve the public, but to shield themselves from scrutiny, regain lost influence, or sanitize damaged reputations through political legitimacy. That is exactly what Ahmad Salihijo seems to be doing. But trust me, the people of Yola North, Yola South, and Girei can not buy such a crap.
It is equally misleading for Salihijo’s promoters to frame the contest as though it is a choice between “performance” and “mere rhetoric,” implying that every other aspirant lacks competence or a meaningful record of service.
The constituency is home to numerous credible politicians, professionals, entrepreneurs, and grassroots leaders who have spent years building relationships with their communities through direct engagement, philanthropy, empowerment initiatives, and political service.
Many of these individuals earned their reputations through visible grassroots involvement not through elite bureaucratic appointments in Abuja or technocratic networking circles.
One of the major weaknesses in Salihijo’s subversive media hype is precisely the disconnect between elite visibility and grassroots legitimacy. While his supporters point to donor-funded electrification initiatives and federal projects executed during his time at REA, such achievements do not automatically translate into political credibility among ordinary constituents.
Public office requires more than technical expertise and polished presentations. Integrity,trust, transparency and accountability matters.
Supporters frequently cite electrification projects, job creation claims, and international partnerships secured during his REA tenure as evidence of competence.
However, Nigerians have learned through painful experiences that project execution alone cannot become a shield against allegations of corruption or abuse of office.
Across the country, numerous public officials accused of misconduct also delivered visible projects while in office. Therefore, infrastructural presence cannot become a substitute for accountability.
The real issue remains unanswered: what exactly transpired within the REA that led to the suspension of its leadership over allegations involving public funds?
Unfortunately, instead of addressing these concerns directly, Salihijo’s defenders have resorted to emotional appeals, selective storytelling, and image laundering.
Another layer of controversy surrounding his political ambition relates to persistent questions over his true local government of origin. Allegations continue to circulate that he is improperly presenting himself as an indigene of Yola North rather than Mayo Belwa, which critics claim represents his ancestral roots.
In a politically sensitive state like Adamawa, questions of identity, ancestry, and community belonging are taken seriously. Constituents have every democratic right to ask legitimate questions about those seeking to represent them. Any attempt to manipulate local identity for political convenience would amount to a betrayal of public trust and a form of political deception against the electorate.
The people of Yola North, Yola South, and Girei are politically aware and sophisticated enough to distinguish between genuine leadership and carefully manufactured propaganda.
The lengthy opinion articles portraying Salihijo as uniquely qualified read less like independent political analysis and more like sponsored image-repair exercises intended to divert attention from unresolved controversies.
Even the language used in many of these publications reveals their true objective. Expressions such as “without equal,” “rare technocratic brilliance,” and “leadership rooted in results” appear deliberately crafted to create an illusion of inevitability around his candidacy while conveniently ignoring the central issue hanging over his political future: the corruption allegations and suspension from office.
It should be restated that no amount of sophisticated media packaging can erase unresolved questions surrounding public accountability.
The constituency deserves a representative whose integrity inspires confidence and whose public record is free from unresolved scandal not someone attempting to escape controversy through strategic rebranding and political marketing.
Elective office should never become a rehabilitation platform for public officials seeking legitimacy without accountability.
Before aspiring to make laws on behalf of Nigerians, Salihijo owes the public clear, transparent, and verifiable answers regarding the allegations that led to his suspension from office.
Until that happens, every glowing newspaper feature and self-congratulatory article claiming innocence will continue to be viewed by many as an attempt at self-exoneration through media manipulation rather than lawful institutional clearance.
Ultimately, the people of Yola North, Yola South, and Girei deserve leadership built on integrity, transparency, credibility, and accountability not expensive public relations campaigns designed to rewrite unresolved history.
Salihu writes from Abuja.
