Baba-Ahmed To Atiku: Don’t Run For Presidency Again

Atiku

Former spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to abandon his long-standing ambition of becoming Nigeria’s president.

Baba-Ahmed, who recently resigned as Political Adviser to the President in the Office of the Vice President, said Atiku—who has contested the presidency six times—should instead focus on supporting a new generation of leaders.In an open letter to President Bola Tinubu on 23 April, Baba-Ahmed had also advised the president to forgo a second-term bid in 2027, warning that seeking re-election would be “a grave mistake” given the nation’s political and economic state.He urged Tinubu to step aside for “a new generation of Nigerians who can carry the nation forward with fresh energy and ideas.”Asked during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday if he would direct a similar appeal to Atiku, Baba-Ahmed said he would advise him to adopt a more elder statesman-like role.

“If I had the chance, I’d tell Atiku the same thing. He’s done his bit. He’s been persistent. But now, he should play a fatherly role—help identify and support younger leaders,” he said.

Baba-Ahmed believes the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could be competitive in the 2027 presidential election if it fields a younger, visionary candidate.

“If they present someone younger, with fewer skeletons, better health and fresh ideas, they could wipe the floor with the APC. This country is hungry for leadership with vision and empathy,” he said.

He stressed that regional origins should no longer dominate political considerations.

“It doesn’t matter where the person comes from. At this point, anyone still talking about North or South is missing the point. We need competence and vision.”

Like Atiku, Obi, others must retire—or be retired

Baba-Ahmed also expressed doubts about whether either Atiku or Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, would have done better than the current Tinubu administration.

On Obi, he said: “I really don’t know, to be honest. I know him personally. I think he has good ideas about a lot of things.”

As for Atiku, he said while the former vice president has extensive experience, he is not convinced he would have offered better governance.

According to Baba-Ahmed, Nigeria’s political veterans should step aside to allow a younger, more service-oriented generation to emerge.

“All these people—the best service they can render to this country is to retire themselves,” he said. “If they don’t, then Nigerians should retire them.”

Atiku, who was PDP’s presidential candidate in 2019 and 2023, has not ruled out another run in 2027. But Baba-Ahmed, who recently served as Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Office of the Vice President, described such ambitions as a distraction.

“You’re letting the PDP fool you into thinking there’ll be an election next year. You’re falling into a trap. Focus on governance. You’ve got an uncompleted job to do,” he said.

Why I left Tinubu’s government

Baba-Ahmed’s comments come amid public curiosity over his unexpected resignation earlier this year. Appointed in June 2023 as a senior adviser to Vice President Kashim Shettima, his decision to join the Tinubu administration had surprised many, given his prior criticism of the APC and the Buhari presidency.

He now says he took the role out of patriotism, not political allegiance.

“Working for this government—especially one that inherited a country as broken as the one Buhari left—was the most patriotic thing anyone could do. You couldn’t just turn your back when asked to help fix the damage you had so loudly criticised.”

However, disillusionment quickly set in.

“I left because I didn’t see the fire, the commitment, the zeal to fix the country. Instead, things got worse.”

Despite his official title, he said he had little real input in policymaking. “I was supposed to advise the president, working from the VP’s office. But I never got the opportunity. I didn’t even meet the president throughout my tenure.”

He said he turned down a chance to meet Tinubu, fearing he would have told him in person what he later wrote in his open letter: “Mr President, please don’t run again in 2027.”

Baba-Ahmed said he observed no friction between Tinubu and Shettima. Daily Trust