Breaking News: “Step Aside for Nigeria’s Sake” — Baba-Ahmed Urges Tinubu, Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso Not to Contest 2027
Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a respected Northern elder and former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu in the Office of the Vice President, has called on Nigeria’s top political figures — President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and NNPP leader Rabiu Kwankwaso — to step aside and not contest the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking during an interview on Trust TV, Baba-Ahmed, who also serves as the spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), declared that the political generation represented by these four men has “nothing more to offer” Nigeria.
“Peter Obi and Kwankwaso should also step aside for the younger generation, alongside President Tinubu and Atiku,” he said. “This particular generation has played itself out — they really have nothing more to offer this country.”
He expressed concern over what he described as a recurring cycle of failed leadership, dominated by elderly politicians who lack the capacity to meet Nigeria’s complex and growing challenges.
“We are going through the same politics again, filled with bitterness and desperation,” he added. “When they get into power, they don’t have the energy or the strength to tackle the country’s problems.”
While Baba-Ahmed acknowledged that it would be unrealistic to expect these leaders to voluntarily exit the stage, he stressed the need for a bold national shift.
“I don’t expect them to all go into a room and say, ‘Let’s step down for Nigeria.’ Their patriotism isn’t that deep. But this country needs a new lease of life,” he said. “I don’t see a bright future for Nigeria under these tired, elderly politicians who’ve spent the last 20 to 30 years simply managing power.”
The elder statesman also challenged the widespread belief that every president is entitled to two terms in office, calling it a dangerous norm.
“One of the distractions in our politics is this idea that once you become president, you must serve two terms. Who said that?” he asked. “When the NEF realized that Buhari wasn’t performing, we rallied other groups — Ohanaeze, Afenifere, and others — and publicly said he didn’t deserve a second term. And we were right.”
He also decried the growing trend of regional entitlement in Nigerian politics, where leadership is seen as a matter of rotation rather than competence.
“Now it’s all about, ‘The South must do eight years because Buhari did.’ Even if a president can’t perform, or is too old or ill, must he remain in office just to complete a regional rotation? This kind of thinking is killing the country.”