2027: Atiku’s Best Service To Nigeria Is Not Running — Baba-Ahmed

Former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has said the most significant contribution former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar can make to Nigeria is to refrain from contesting the 2027 presidential election.

Baba-Ahmed, a former spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, made the remarks on Thursday during an interview on ARISE Television’s Morning Show.

According to him, Atiku stepping aside would be a dramatic and selfless decision capable of reshaping opposition politics and restoring public confidence.

“The most important thing that ADC can do, and the single most important commitment that Atiku can make to this country after all his years of labour and striving to build the democratic process in this country, is to decide not to run for president in 2027.

“You’ve got to do something that is so dramatically outside the box that Nigerians can sit up and say, ah, these are not just another recycled politician trying to replace Tinubu,” he said.

“And of all those things, it has to be something that Atiku could do. One of them is not to keep insisting that he has to run,” he added.

He also said Atiku stepping aside would be a decisive move entirely within his control and could reshape opposition politics ahead of the next general election.

While urging Atiku to reconsider his presidential ambition, Baba-Ahmed also described Atiku as the most qualified candidate among the Allied Democratic Congress aspirants to emerge through the party’s convention.

He said Atiku’s experience, national spread, strong structures, and loyal support base place him above other contenders within the ADC.

“Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has the experience, the spread, better structures, and more loyal people, and he understands the mechanics of internal party dynamics better than the others.

“The ADC’s ticket is up for grabs, but it will be a very difficult task for anybody to get it other than Atiku Abubakar,” he said.

“Those saying the ticket must be given to a particular individual are going against democratic processes,” he added.

Despite this, Baba-Ahmed still urged the former vice president to reconsider his presidential ambition.

2027: Atiku’s Best Service To Nigeria Is Not Running — Baba-Ahmed is first published on The Whistler Newspaper