In Nigeria’s political and public service environment, it is common for top government officials and political leaders to appoint aides to assist them in carrying out specific assignments, managing engagements, coordinating activities, and representing their principals when necessary.
However, the role of a political aide comes with enormous responsibility. While some aides may become power-drunk, act as gatekeepers, or create unnecessary barriers between their principals and members of the public, there are others who understand that their responsibility is fundamentally about service.
Tongzum Barde, an aide to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, belongs to the latter category.
Those who have interacted with Barde describe him as a man of humility, transparency, discipline and uncommon accessibility. Rather than seeing his position as an opportunity to wield influence, he appears to understand it as a platform to serve both his principal and the people who interact with the office.
In politics, the spotlight often shines on those standing at the podium. They deliver speeches, make policy pronouncements and take the political decisions that attract public attention. But behind every successful political leader is usually a team of people working quietly in the background—organising meetings, coordinating engagements, managing communications and ensuring that the machinery of leadership functions effectively.
This is where the importance of aides such as Tongzum Barde becomes evident.
While the principal handles major political responsibilities, aides are often responsible for the details that make those responsibilities easier to execute. From arranging schedules and facilitating contacts to attending to requests and ensuring that important matters receive attention, their work may rarely make the headlines, but it remains indispensable.
Sources familiar with Barde’s activities describe him as possessing an uncommon combination of leadership and followership skills—the ability to take responsibility when circumstances demand leadership, while also understanding when humility and service are required.
That balance is particularly important in political administration, where access, information and proximity to influential figures can easily be mistaken for personal power.
Despite the demands of his schedule, Barde is said to approach his responsibilities with considerable patience and attention to detail. He reportedly listens carefully to issues brought before him, including complaints and criticisms that others might be tempted to dismiss.
“He does not just respond to calls,” a colleague observed. “He listens with keen interest, even to complaints or criticism that others might want to rubbish. And when he replies to text messages, it is always with kind formalities.”
Such conduct may appear ordinary, but in the high-pressure environment of contemporary politics, it is increasingly becoming uncommon.
For many members of the public, the aide is often the first point of contact with a political office. How that individual treats people can therefore shape their perception of the principal and, by extension, the institution the principal represents.
Beyond administrative responsibilities, those who have worked closely with Barde describe him as compassionate and considerate. His approach, they say, reflects an understanding that behind every phone call, message or request is a person with a concern, an expectation or sometimes a difficult personal story.
This quality of quiet service is particularly significant in a political environment where visibility and influence can sometimes overshadow humility.
Barde’s example reinforces an important principle: public service is not measured only by how loudly one speaks, but also by how effectively one serves.
Political aides may not always receive public recognition for their contributions. They work behind the scenes, often under pressure and without the visibility enjoyed by their principals. Yet their professionalism, discretion, accessibility and commitment can significantly influence the effectiveness of the office they serve.
In a political space often characterised by noise, competition and the pursuit of personal influence, men like Tongzum Barde represent the quieter side of leadership—the engine room where much of the real organisational work takes place.
They may not always stand on the podium, appear in headlines or receive applause. But they help make the podium possible.
They are, indeed, the men behind the scene.
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