The National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has alleged that former President Muhammadu Buhari was opposed to Bola Tinubu’s emergence as his successor in 2023 because he believed the former Lagos State governor’s leadership could have adverse consequences for Nigeria.
Baba-Ahmed made the claim at a summit organised by the Northern Elders Forum. His remarks were featured in a video published on Symfoni’s YouTube channel on Saturday.
The PRP chairman questioned the circumstances surrounding Tinubu’s presidential ambition, drawing particular attention to his declaration of “Emilokan”, a Yoruba expression meaning “it is my turn”, during the campaign leading up to the 2023 general election.
He argued that the statement should have prompted Nigerians to examine the former APC presidential candidate’s intentions and consider the implications of his approach to seeking the country’s highest political office.
“Nigerians ought to have known there was something wrong the day Tinubu said ‘It’s my turn’. Maybe we missed it,” he said.
“We have a presidency of a country of 250 million people. My turn? To do what? To become president.”
Baba-Ahmed maintained that the presidency should be regarded primarily as an opportunity to serve the nation rather than a position that an individual is entitled to occupy. He argued that Tinubu’s declaration should have triggered a broader national conversation about the purpose of political leadership and whether the interests of Nigerians were central to his ambition.
The opposition party leader further alleged that Buhari had reservations about Tinubu’s candidacy and resisted attempts by some political figures to influence the succession process in favour of the former Lagos governor.
“Even Buhari saw Tinubu as bad news for this country. In fairness to him, he is not around him. Buhari resisted some people who insisted it had to be Tinubu,” Baba-Ahmed said.
However, the PRP chairman did not identify the individuals he accused of pressuring Buhari or provide further details about the circumstances surrounding the former president’s alleged opposition to Tinubu’s candidacy.
Recall that Tinubu secured the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) before the 2023 general election, defeating his major opponents to emerge as Nigeria’s president. He was inaugurated on May 29, 2023, succeeding Buhari, whose administration lasted eight years.
Since taking office, Tinubu has implemented significant economic policy changes, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and reforms to the foreign exchange system. His administration has defended the measures as necessary interventions to address structural weaknesses in the economy and strengthen government finances.
Nevertheless, the policies have generated considerable criticism, with Nigerians expressing concerns over escalating living expenses, inflation and the financial strain on households and businesses.
Baba-Ahmed criticised Tinubu’s performance, arguing that the country had suffered a significant deterioration under his administration. He questioned why Nigerians should accept another four years under the same leadership without thoroughly assessing its record.
“Now we are being depressed for having a president for three and a half years. He has dragged the country as low as it is possible to go. And it has to stop him. We cannot go below, beyond where we are,” he said.
Despite his criticism of the administration, Baba-Ahmed expressed optimism that Nigerians would overcome the country’s current challenges. He described the population as resilient, noting that the country had endured previous crises and would eventually emerge from its present difficulties.
“We are very resilient people. We have seen crises bigger than this, and we survived it. We survived it, and we will survive this one,” he said.
“We will survive the four years of abuse, neglect, and plunder that Tinubu has caused because Nigeria has to survive for our children and their children.”
The PRP chairman insisted that Nigeria’s long-term interests should outweigh the political aspirations of any individual. He accused Tinubu of prioritising his ambition to remain in office over the welfare of citizens and faulted his administration’s performance across several sectors.
“We will not allow a president to fulfil an ambition that one individual alone can wreck his country, just to prove that he has the power and the money to do so,” Baba-Ahmed said.
“We are at the bottom. There is no way to go anymore. Every index of failure shows in this administration.”
Baba-Ahmed also took issue with Tinubu’s approach to seeking a second term, criticising what he described as the president’s reliance on political associates to advance his re-election campaign instead of directly explaining to Nigerians why he deserves another four years in office.
He also accused governors in the North of failing to adequately communicate the economic difficulties confronting their constituents and the growing dissatisfaction among residents to the president. According to him, political leaders in the region should be more forthright about the challenges facing their communities and the possible implications for the ruling party.
Turning to preparations for the 2027 general election, Baba-Ahmed disclosed that opposition parties were working towards forming a coalition to challenge Tinubu at the polls.
He described the initiative as a serious effort to unite political actors, combine their resources and set aside differences that could undermine their collective ability to compete against the incumbent president.
“What we have seen is an incredible willingness for politicians to come together and say, let’s put aside some of our differences and see if we can actually create a momentum strong enough to remove this Tinubu,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed added that the proposed alliance would eventually produce a presidential candidate, urging Nigerians who oppose Tinubu’s return to power to support the individual selected to represent the coalition.
“There will be a candidate that will be produced by this coalition. Vote for whoever he is,” he said.
He also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the 2027 general election accurately reflects the decisions of Nigerian voters, stressing that public confidence in the electoral process would be essential to determining the country’s political direction.
“INEC must guarantee that the 2027 elections will reflect the will of the people,” he said.
“If it does, and it must, because the consequences are almost clear, Tinubu is done.”
