Baba-Ahmed urges Tinubu to drop 2027 bid, says Nigeria needs younger, focused leadership

Baba-Ahmed urges Tinubu to drop 2027 bid, says Nigeria needs younger, focused leadership

Former Northern Elders Forum spokesperson, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has urged President Bola Tinubu to shelve his 2027 re-election bid, insisting that Nigeria needs a younger, healthier, and more focused leader to confront its mounting challenges.

Speaking during an interview on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics, Baba-Ahmed — who resigned as Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the Vice President in April — said President Tinubu has failed to demonstrate the urgency required to address Nigeria’s worsening economic and security crises.

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He revealed that after leaving government, he had privately expressed hope that Tinubu would not seek a second term, arguing that the president had already achieved his long-time ambition of leading the country but has not matched it with effective governance.

According to him, the once politically strategic Tinubu has not shown the same “hunger to fix things,” despite possessing significant political influence and the power to mobilise even opposition elements.

Baba-Ahmed criticised Tinubu’s response to recent national issues, including the diplomatic episode involving former US President Donald Trump, saying it fell short of what is expected from a decisive commander-in-chief.

Warning that Nigeria is “in a dire state,” he stressed that the country cannot continue functioning “as if things are normal,” and called on the ruling party to rally behind a more capable and energetic presidential candidate for 2027.

 

Baba-Ahmed urges Tinubu to drop 2027 bid, says Nigeria needs younger, focused leadership