Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the former spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to give up his presidential aspirations and instead support younger leadership for Nigeria.
Baba-Ahmed, who recently resigned as Political Adviser to the President in the Office of the Vice President, made these remarks during a Channels Television interview on Thursday. His comments follow an open letter to President Bola Tinubu on April 23, in which he advised the president against seeking re-election in 2027.
“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,” said Baba-Ahmed.
“Time for New Leadership”
The political adviser believes the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could perform strongly in the 2027 presidential election if it fields a younger candidate with fresh ideas.
“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 stated.
Baba-Ahmed emphasised that regional considerations should no longer dominate political discourse, saying, “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.”
Call for Political Veterans to Step Aside
Extending his advice beyond Atiku, Baba-Ahmed expressed doubts about whether either Atiku or Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, would have performed better than the current administration.
“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.”
He warned that continuing to consider another presidential run would be a distraction, adding, “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.”
Resignation from Tinubu’s Government
Baba-Ahmed also addressed questions about his unexpected resignation earlier this year. Appointed in June 2023 as a senior adviser to Vice President Kashim Shettima, he said he joined the administration out of patriotism rather than 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,” he explained.
However, he soon became disillusioned: “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, Baba-Ahmed revealed he had minimal input in policymaking and never met President Tinubu during his tenure. He declined an opportunity to meet the president, fearing he would have expressed his views too directly.
Criticism of Current Political Climate
Baba-Ahmed described northern Nigeria as being in severe distress—plagued by poverty, insecurity, unemployment, and a drug crisis. He accused politicians of turning the All Progressives Congress (APC) into a “political refugee camp.”
“People are defecting not because of ideology or policy, but to escape prosecution or secure power. They won’t write to the EFCC saying, ‘I’m joining APC to avoid prosecution,’ but that’s exactly what’s happening,” he said.
Harsh Assessment of Former President Buhari
When asked about former President Muhammadu Buhari’s legacy, Baba-Ahmed was unsparing in his criticism, describing Buhari’s presidency as the worst in Nigeria’s history.
“He didn’t represent the North—he represented himself. We backed him in 2015 because he was the better option than Jonathan. We thought he’d be tough on corruption and could unify the country. But he turned out to be the opposite.”
“From my experience—I’m 70 years old—yes. I haven’t seen a government that governed less, cared less for the poor, or failed more at setting priorities,” he added.
Evaluation of Tinubu’s Administration
Regarding the current administration, Baba-Ahmed said the Tinubu government is falling short of expectations.
“Nigerians voted for Tinubu in 2023 hoping he’d fix the country. He removed subsidies and promised tough reforms, but he wasn’t truly prepared. His advisers are scrambling to fix problems after they emerge. There’s a major disconnect between rhetoric and reality.”
He concluded with a stark assessment: “Go to Niger, Plateau, Benue—more blood is being shed now than two years ago. Yet, they release statistics claiming there’s less violence. Who gives them these numbers? Do they even know how Nigerians are living?”
