Atiku, El-Rufai Coalition Not Better Than APC, Says Hakeem Baba-Ahmed

A former spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has criticised the coalition effort spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai, warning that the initiative does not represent a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Baba-Ahmed expressed his concerns during an interview on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Monday, where he described the newly proposed political alliance—named the All Democratic Alliance (ADA)—as lacking the vision, unity, and generational renewal needed to effectively challenge President Bola Tinubu’s administration in the 2027 general elections.

The opposition coalition, which has applied for registration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has been promoted as a broad-based platform aimed at uniting Nigeria’s fragmented opposition under one umbrella.

However, Baba-Ahmed, a former special adviser on political matters to Vice President Kashim Shettima, dismissed the coalition as being led by individuals who are “not better than the APC.”

“There are divisions among coalition members,” he said.

“None of these people should lead or be seen in a position that they are determining who should be in that coalition.”

He argued that the coalition lacks a compelling vision and has failed to gain the trust of ordinary Nigerians, who are disillusioned with recycled political elites and their inability to bring about transformative change.

“They can work behind the scenes,” Baba-Ahmed continued. “What they need is a generational shift and a political shift away from who they are, what they have done, and what they want to do.”

He urged the coalition’s leadership to step back and allow new, younger, and more dynamic Nigerians to take the lead in shaping the country’s future.

“We need different kinds of Nigerians who can give Nigerians hope, not people who have become vice president and contested three times, become governors and ministers.”

Baba-Ahmed further suggested that the current crop of opposition leaders are indistinguishable from the ruling party and may only be interested in seizing power, rather than reforming governance.

“They don’t have faith that you actually represent a different future from this government,” he said, referring to widespread public skepticism. “You just want to replace the government of President Tinubu.”

His comments come amid growing public debate over the credibility and direction of Nigeria’s opposition parties ahead of 2027.

While some Nigerians view the proposed coalition as a step towards unity and political balance, others see it as a gathering of familiar faces with little to offer beyond rhetoric.

Atiku, El-Rufai Coalition Not Better Than APC, Says Hakeem Baba-Ahmed is first published on The Whistler Newspaper