Baba-Ahmed: Why Tinubu should not seek re-election
Baba-Ahmed: Why Tinubu should not seek re-election
Former spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconsider contesting the 2027 presidential election, saying the country would benefit from a younger and more energetic candidate within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Baba-Ahmed, who resigned in April as Special Adviser on Political Matters in the office of the Vice President, made the comments on Sunday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
He said President Tinubu had previously expressed that attaining the presidency was his primary political ambition, adding that having achieved that goal, he should focus on supporting a successor rather than seeking a second term.
According to him, the president has not shown the level of urgency required to tackle Nigeria’s current challenges.
“When I left the administration, one of the things I told many people was that I hoped President Tinubu would not run again in 2027,” he said.
“He has achieved his long-held ambition to become president, but I do not believe he has managed the country effectively so far.”
Baba-Ahmed added that the leadership style Nigerians had previously associated with the president had not been evident in his current administration.
“The qualities of strategic thinking and political drive that many knew him for have not translated into the kind of commitment needed to address the nation’s problems,” he said.
He urged the president to support a younger, healthier and more focused candidate from within the APC if the party hoped to reposition itself and respond adequately to national concerns.
Baba-Ahmed also criticised what he described as an insufficient response to recent national controversies, saying this reflected broader governance issues.
“The truth is that Nigeria is facing severe deterioration in many areas, and we cannot continue to operate as though everything is normal,” he said.
