The most important thing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar could do for Nigeria, according to Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former Special Advisor on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, is to resign and give up on running for president in 2027.
The comments were made by Baba-Ahmed, a former Northern Elders Forum spokesperson, on Thursday during an appearance on The Morning Show on Arise News Television.
Instead than recycling well-known political leaders, he contended that Atiku’s choice to not run in 2027 would send a powerful message to Nigerians that a new political culture is feasible.
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“And of all those things, it has to be something that Atiku could do. One of them is not to keep insisting that he has to run. And I will give you my reasons,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed went on to say that Atiku’s resignation would be a significant action completely under the former vice president’s hands and might change opposition politics in advance of the upcoming general election.
Baba-Ahmed described Atiku as the most competent candidate among the Allied Democratic Congress candidates to come through the party’s convention, but he also urged the former vice president to reevaluate his presidential ambition.
He claimed that Atiku is superior to other ADC candidates due to his background, national reach, solid organisational framework, and devoted following.
“Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has the experience, the spread, better structures, and more loyal people, and he understands the mechanics of internal party dynamics better than the others. The ADC’s ticket is up for grabs, but it will be a very difficult task for anybody to get it other than Atiku Abubakar,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed further criticised calls for the party’s ticket to be reserved for a particular individual, describing such demands as contrary to democratic principles.
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“Those saying the ticket must be given to a particular individual are going against democratic processes,” he said.
“The most important thing that ADC can do, and the single most important commitment that Atiku can make to this country after all his years of labour and striving to build the democratic process in this country, is to decide not to run for president in 2027.
“You’ve got to do something that is so dramatically outside the box that Nigerians can sit up and say, ah, these are not just another recycled politician trying to replace Tinubu,” he added.
Baba-Ahmed asked the former vice president to reevaluate his presidential aspirations despite pointing out Atiku’s advantage inside the party.
As the 2027 election draws near, Baba-Ahmed’s remarks contribute to the continuing discussion about the opposition’s future course and the potential for new leadership in Nigerian politics.
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