A former political adviser to President Bola Tinubu, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, says he hopes the President will not seek a second term in the 2027 election, arguing that Tinubu has not shown the urgency required to address Nigeria’s challenges.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Baba-Ahmed said his view had not changed since his exit from the administration.
He noted that while Tinubu achieved his long-standing ambition of becoming president, his performance so far does not reflect the drive Nigerians expected.
According to him, “the hunger and sharp political instinct” that defined Tinubu’s earlier political career have not been evident in his governance style.
He said, “I’m sorry, but I have to say this again. When I left his administration, one of the things I told many people was, ‘I wish President Tinubu would not run again in 2027.
“First, he said his ambition was to be president, and he has now achieved that. He said ‘Emilokan,’ and he had his turn. But I don’t think he has run the country well.
“The Tinubu we used to know, the Tinubu with all the hunger and brilliant intelligence for scheming, hasn’t shown that same hunger to fix things.
Baba-Ahmed advised the President to consider supporting a younger, healthier and more focused candidate within the All Progressives Congress (APC) instead of pursuing re-election.
He argued that Tinubu had fulfilled his personal ambition and should now guide the party toward a successor who can bring renewed energy into national leadership.
Although President Tinubu has not officially declared interest in the 2027 race, the APC endorsed him for a second term in May.
At the party’s national summit held at the Presidential Villa on May 22, APC governors passed a vote of confidence in the President and adopted a resolution backing him as the party’s flagbearer.
The chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum and Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma, said the governors were satisfied with the midterm review of the administration and committed to delivering victory for Tinubu in 2027.
VANGUARD.
