Buhari Feared Tinubu Presidency, Resisted Pressure to Back Him – Baba-Ahmed Claims

The National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has claimed that former President Muhammadu Buhari had reservations about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu succeeding him in 2023, describing the current President as “bad news” for Nigeria.

Baba-Ahmed made the allegation at a summit organised by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), where he criticised Tinubu’s administration and questioned the President’s handling of the country’s economic and political challenges.

According to him, Buhari resisted pressure from some political associates who wanted Tinubu to emerge as his successor after the 2023 general election.

“Even Buhari saw Tinubu as bad news for this country. In fairness to him, he is not around him. Buhari resisted some people who insisted it had to be Tinubu,” Baba-Ahmed said.

He did not identify the individuals who allegedly pressured Buhari or provide further details of the former President’s reported reservations about Tinubu’s candidacy.

Baba-Ahmed also revisited Tinubu’s declaration of “Emilokan”, a Yoruba expression meaning “it is my turn”, during the build-up to the 2023 presidential election, arguing that Nigerians should have examined the statement more critically.

“Nigerians ought to have known there was something wrong the day Tinubu said ‘It’s my turn’. Maybe we missed it,” he said.

Questioning the purpose behind the declaration, Baba-Ahmed argued that the presidency of a country with more than 200 million people should be about public service rather than the fulfilment of an individual’s political ambition.

The PRP chairman further accused the Tinubu administration of worsening the country’s difficulties, citing economic hardship and what he described as failures across key areas of governance.

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He argued that the President should not prioritise his ambition for a second term over the welfare of Nigerians, insisting that the country needed a change in direction.

Baba-Ahmed also expressed confidence that Nigeria would overcome its current challenges, describing its people as resilient despite the economic and political difficulties confronting the nation.

“We are very resilient people. We have seen crises bigger than this, and we survived it. We survived this one, and we will survive this one,” he said.

On the 2027 general election, Baba-Ahmed disclosed that opposition parties were working towards a coalition to challenge Tinubu, adding that the alliance would seek to unite political interests behind a single candidate.

He urged Nigerians opposed to the President’s re-election bid to support whoever emerges as the coalition’s candidate.

Baba-Ahmed also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the 2027 elections are credible and reflect the wishes of voters.

Tinubu succeeded Buhari on May 29, 2023, after winning the presidential election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). His administration has introduced major economic reforms, including the removal of petrol subsidies and changes to the foreign exchange system, which have generated sustained public debate over their impact on households and businesses.

Baba-Ahmed’s claim about Buhari’s alleged opposition to Tinubu’s emergence has not been independently established in the account of the summit. His remarks come amid growing political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 elections and renewed criticism of the President’s performance by opposition figures.