Former Minister of Communications Adebayo Shittu has announced his retirement from active partisan politics to focus on Islamic Dawah, citing widespread candidate imposition and deceptive manipulation during his party’s recent primary elections.
Former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, has announced his definitive withdrawal from active partisan politics, pointing to deep-seated manipulation and a lack of internal democracy within the ruling party. Speaking during a comprehensive interview on SYMFONI’s Naija Unfiltered, the legal practitioner and founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) explained that his recent frustrating experiences during the just-concluded party primaries forced him to re-evaluate his public service path. Shittu revealed that he has resolved to redirect his time, energy, and resources away from partisan struggles toward Islamic Dawah and religious propagation activities, which he believes are “more rewarding spiritually and morally.”
The veteran politician launched a scathing critique against the internal mechanics of the party, alleging that powerful individuals have completely hijacked the democratic process to enforce the imposition of pre-determined candidates. He particularly lamented the financial exploitation of aspirants, questioning why the party leadership would mandate a prohibitive ₦50 million fee for nomination forms when the final outcomes had already been settled behind closed doors without any broad-based consultations. Recalling his own ordeal, Shittu stated that he was deliberately misled into retaining his academic appointment under the pretense of presidential instruction, only to discover the entire process was an elaborate ruse. “I had to ask whether I had truly been sent the message of Mr President. I was told the President said I should not withdraw from my position as Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University. Because I believed in the arrangement, I obeyed,” he said. He further remarked, “It was much later that I discovered it had already been settled. I still thank God because I cannot imagine myself paying ₦50 million only to be told later that another person had already been anointed.”
Shittu warned that the pervasive discontent generated by these untransparent exercises has left several influential politicians, including former governors and legislators, feeling politically trapped and structurally disenfranchised due to restrictive provisions in the amended Electoral Act. He emphasized that forcing anointed candidates onto local constituencies would severely degrade the party’s cohesion and performance in future general elections. Moving forward, the former minister maintained that his exit from the political arena is absolute, choosing instead to prioritize faith-based community development over the toxic cycles of contemporary Nigerian politics. “I am no longer interested in politics. I want to do Islamic Dawah because if you put even a quarter of the effort we invest in politics into God’s work, one will certainly be better compensated,” Shittu stated.
For a deeper dive into his direct commentary on the internal conflicts, systemic deceptions, and wider national security concerns facing the country, you can watch the full Adebayo Shittu Interview on SYMFONI. This video provides the complete, uncut context of the former minister’s criticisms regarding the political landscape and his subsequent shift toward religious propagation.
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