Abuja, FCT – Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, former vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconsider any intentions of contesting for a second term in 2027. According to him, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) faces an inevitable defeat if it returns to the ballot.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme aired on Friday, April 18, Baba-Ahmed remarked that if Tinubu is truly the skilled politician many believe him to be, he should recognize the odds and step aside.
“I expect Tinubu to throw in the towel if he is that smart politician that he turns out to be,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed also criticized the president’s political trajectory, claiming it has been part of a deliberate pattern aimed at producing presidential candidates over the years. He alleged that this strategy reached its peak with what he described as an “electoral heist” in the 2023 elections.
“He skipped 2007 and jokingly made Atiku (presidential) candidate, made Ribadu and somebody [else] in 2011, made Buhari in 2015, Buhari won, and then skipped 2019 and they stole 2023,” Baba-Ahmed alleged.
He maintained that the political climate and public sentiment indicate that Tinubu and the APC would lose in the next election cycle.
“If he is that smart, everything is there for him that he’s going to lose 2027.”
Looking ahead, Baba-Ahmed expressed optimism that Nigerians will unite to end the cycle of ineffective leadership. He predicted a wave of democratic engagement that could reshape the nation’s political direction.
“I see APC losing this election. I see Nigerians somehow uniting, listening to what someone like me is saying that if you cannot practice this, democracy is not for you, and then Nigerians will decide to come out and practice democracy for the first time, and then bad leadership will begin to have no hiding place in Nigeria,” he said.
Datti Baba-Ahmed also dismissed the notion that Tinubu’s administration would deliver on its promises. He argued that the president is on the same path as former President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he accused of falling short on critical issues such as security, development, and anti-corruption.
“Buhari did not develop Nigeria, Buhari did not provide security, Buhari did not fight corruption. Neither will Tinubu ever do this,” he asserted.
According to the LP stalwart, the APC’s track record does not inspire confidence in its ability to bring about meaningful change.
Baba-Ahmed served as Peter Obi’s running mate in the 2023 general election under the Labour Party. The party ultimately placed third in the presidential race, following the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
