Former Northern Elders Forum spokesperson Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has called on President Bola Tinubu to abandon his 2027 re-election bid and hand over the mantle to a younger, healthier and more focused candidate within the ruling party.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics, Baba-Ahmed, who resigned as Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the Vice-President in April, said the president has failed to show the urgency needed to fix Nigeria’s deepening problems.
He recalled telling close associates after leaving government that he hoped Tinubu would not seek a second term. According to him, the president has already fulfilled his long-held ambition to lead the country — but has not lived up to expectations.
“The Tinubu we once knew, with all his brilliant political scheming, has not demonstrated the same hunger to fix things,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed argued that the president has all the power he needs to govern effectively, including the ability to rally members of the opposition to his side, yet Nigeria continues to deteriorate.
He said Tinubu’s response to recent national challenges, including the incident involving former US President Donald Trump, lacked the leadership and urgency required of a commander-in-chief.
“Nigeria is in a dire state. We cannot keep running things as if they’re normal,” he warned.
