A former Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has said both the President and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar should not seek the presidency in the 2027 general election, insisting that Nigeria urgently requires a new generation of leadership.
Baba-Ahmed made the remarks on Tuesday while appearing on Politics Today on Channels Television.
According to him, President Tinubu and Atiku have a responsibility to give Nigerians the opportunity to choose from a fresh pool of leaders, noting that the country would be better served if both men stepped aside.
He added that their decision not to contest would widen the political space and offer Nigerians a broader and more credible range of leadership options.
Baba-Ahmed argued that President Tinubu may no longer have the capacity to govern beyond 2027, pointing out that the President would have completed a four-year term by then.
He said the nation would benefit from being led by someone younger, healthier and more focused on effective governance.
According to him, Tinubu should consider handing over power to a younger, healthier and more governance-driven individual after completing his first term.
The former presidential adviser expressed a similar stance regarding Atiku, stating that the former vice president also has a duty to the country not to seek the presidency again.
He said, “I had an interview here where I said that if I had my way, two people would not run in 2027. They will not run at all. They are President Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. They have a really good chance of giving Nigerians a choice to pick the best candidate.
“The reason why President Tinubu shouldn’t run, I think, is that he has run out of steam. I don’t think that he has the capacity to continue to govern this country beyond 2027. I’m speaking honestly, without any prejudice to him. I think he’s fulfilled his ambition and become president of this country. By 2027, he would have served four years. It would have been the best time for President Tinubu to say, ‘I need a younger person. I need a healthier person. I need somebody who is more focused on governance.’
“And for Vice President Atiku, the same thing. They really owe this country the responsibility to say, ‘We don’t have to be presidents in 2027.’ The country needs fresh blood. The country needs a new lease of life.”
