BREAKING: 2027 Election: Baba-Ahmed Mentions Who Tinubu Should Step Aside For, Gives Reasons

Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former presidential adviser, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider stepping aside in the 2027 elections and allow for a new generation of Nigerians to take the reins of leadership.

In an open letter made, Baba-Ahmed appealed to the president to shelve any plans of seeking re-election, suggesting that it would be a dignified move for both Tinubu and the nation.

Legit.ng reported that Baba-Ahmed’s message comes at a time when political discussions surrounding the 2027 election are heating up, with various leaders positioning themselves for potential candidacies.

The former adviser’s plea was a call for the president to reflect on his legacy and consider making way for younger leaders who could offer fresh ideas and energy to the country.

“Step aside—not for your opponents, but for a new generation of Nigerians who can carry the nation forward with fresh energy and ideas.

“It would be a masterstroke if you and your party yielded the field to new voices and new leadership. That way, you could catalyse a peaceful, historic transformation and inspire a new political culture rooted in merit, unity, and progress,” Baba-Ahmed wrote in his letter.

Baba-Ahmed criticises Tinubu’s governance style

Baba-Ahmed did not hold back in his assessment of Tinubu’s leadership, criticising the president’s administration for failing to capitalise on the momentum of his inauguration.

He argued that while the current government inherited significant challenges, it had yet to deliver tangible results for the average Nigerian.

He also criticised Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, calling it little more than a set of campaign promises rather than a concrete governance plan.

“The Renewed Hope Agenda is not a coherent governance plan. It is merely a set of campaign promises.

“More than half of your cabinet has no business managing an administration tasked with improving security, livelihoods, or public trust,” Baba-Ahmed said.

The former adviser further expressed his disappointment with the administration’s approach to leadership, which he described as disconnected from the needs of the people.

Baba-Ahmed pointed to the perception that Tinubu’s leadership style had isolated him from the public and key political stakeholders.

“Your closed-door style of leadership, your apparent indifference to complaints of ethnic bias in appointments, and the perception that you frequently run the country from abroad while attending to personal matters have created the image of an isolated leader heading an insular administration,” Baba-Ahmed stated.

Caution against over-focus on 2027 elections

Baba-Ahmed also warned President Tinubu against becoming too consumed by his re-election bid. He cautioned that focusing on electoral ambitions at the expense of governance could jeopardise the progress of the current administration.

“Two years is a long time—you can still achieve much. But if you shift attention now to electoral ambitions, you risk losing both governance momentum and public goodwill,” Baba-Ahmed warned.

He also highlighted growing discontent across Nigeria, particularly in the north, where Baba-Ahmed claimed the administration had failed to address issues of economic hardship, insecurity, and alienation.

He pointed out that the country’s political divisions were deepening, with the North, East, South-South, and South-West all showing signs of disengagement or frustration with the current government.

“The North is drifting from your leadership under the weight of economic hardship, insecurity, and alienation. The East remains politically disengaged, while the South-South is fragmented,” Baba-Ahmed said.

Presidency speaks why Atiku’s political future ‘looks bleak’

Previously, Legit.ng reported that the Nigerian presidency on Thursday, April 24, said the political future of the country’s former vice-president (VP), Atiku Abubakar, “looks bleak”.

Reacting to the updates which political observers have said Atiku and his camp would be displeased with, Bayo Onanuga, one of the presidential spokespersons, predicted a loss for the PDP stalwart should the former VP decide to go against President Tinubu in the 2027 election.