Former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has urged Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to rein in his supporters and embrace a calmer, more calculated strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking on Thursday on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Baba-Ahmed said Obi and some of his followers were doing his political ambitions no favours, warning that constant attacks and insults could weaken his chances within the democratic space.
He, however, acknowledged Obi’s wide-ranging engagements across the country, describing him as one of the most widely travelled politicians in recent times and praising his efforts to stay connected with grassroots supporters.
However, Baba-Ahmed said Obi must now recognise the reality of competing against experienced and “hardline politicians” who are equally determined to secure party tickets.
Baba-Ahmed urged Obi to emulate former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s approach by publicly calling his supporters to order and discouraging the trading of insults among political camps.
Baba-Ahmed: “I think Peter Obi, all these people and himself are not helping his case. What he really needs to do, I think, is to go out and soil his boots. I think he’s the most traveled politician I’ve seen in recent times, and that’s good for him. He tried to stay in touch with grassroots, which is good for him, but what he needs to do now is to really sit down with these people and come to terms with the fact that he is now running against hard line politicians who also have their eyes on the same thing that he has his eyes on.
“What Vice President Atiku did in terms of saying to his people, calm down. We don’t want to start trading insults with each other was the right thing Peter Obi should do twice as much. I did a program two or three days ago where I mentioned the fact that Peter Obi would lose 100 conventions. You will be amazed at the number of people who commented and insulted me and say, Oh, look at these people. How do they think Peter will line up behind Atiku?
“I’m afraid, in the democratic process, that’s how it’s done there. You can have a consensus candidate, but you need to have the consensus of people like Atiku, maybe even Amaechi. And maybe there are one or two dark horses who are working behind the scene. The problem, the point is that ADC’s ticket is up for grabs, but it will be a very, very difficult task for anybody to get it, other than President Atiku.”
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