The 2027 presidential election may still be months away, but the political drama is already getting intense.
This time, Datti Baba-Ahmed, former running mate to Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election, has made a statement that is likely to generate plenty of reactions across the political space.
Baba-Ahmed has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be prepared to leave office after the 2027 election, but he does not believe any of the major opposition politicians currently positioning themselves to replace him has what it takes to improve Nigeria.
And yes, he was referring to his former running mate, Peter Obi, as well.
Speaking during an appearance on the MIC ON Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, Baba-Ahmed was asked about the politicians challenging Tinubu ahead of 2027.
His response was quite blunt.
According to him, Tinubu should prepare to hand over power, but not to the politicians currently contesting against him because, in his opinion, none of them would improve the country.
When the interviewer specifically asked whether Peter Obi was included, Baba-Ahmed replied:
“Including Peter Obi, I’m sorry to say.”
That statement is particularly interesting considering the political journey these two men shared.
In 2023, Obi and Baba-Ahmed contested the presidential election together under the Labour Party platform. Their ticket became one of the major talking points of that election, eventually finishing third behind Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.
But fast-forward to 2026, and the relationship between the two politicians appears to have taken a very different direction.
‘I Warned Peter Obi’
Baba-Ahmed also spoke about Obi’s decision to join the African Democratic Congress, claiming that he warned his former running mate against making the move.
According to him, he personally approached Obi at the Yar’Adua Centre before the proposed move and told him that the ADC was not the right political platform for him.
Baba-Ahmed said Obi ignored his advice and eventually moved outside what he described as his political “comfort zone.”
He further claimed that Obi’s eventual departure from the ADC vindicated his earlier warning.
“Within four months, Peter Obi left ADC,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed added that after Obi went against his advice, he could no longer influence his former running mate’s political decisions.
“Peter Obi moved out of his comfort zone against my advice. Beyond that point, I could no longer help him,” he said.
For anyone who followed the 2023 election closely, this is quite a remarkable development.
The two men once stood side by side on the same presidential ticket. Now, Baba-Ahmed is openly questioning whether Obi has what it takes to deliver the kind of change Nigerians are looking for.
Baba-Ahmed Questions Nigeria’s Political Class
Baba-Ahmed also questioned the political history of some of the major figures seeking to challenge Tinubu in 2027.
He argued that several of the politicians presenting themselves as agents of a new Nigeria have previously been part of the country’s established political system.
He particularly referenced Obi’s previous membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, which was the ruling party before the APC took over power in 2015.
Baba-Ahmed challenged anyone to identify a major politician who had never been associated with a ruling party.
However, when the interviewer reminded him that he had also been involved in politics and had served in the National Assembly, Baba-Ahmed defended his own political history.
He said he had never belonged to a ruling party, explaining that he was a member of the Congress for Progressive Change when it was an opposition party.
He added that after the CPC merged with other parties to form the APC and the party eventually came to power, he resigned.
Atiku Takes Aim at Tinubu
While Baba-Ahmed was questioning the capacity of opposition politicians, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was also taking his own shots at President Tinubu.
Atiku, who is now the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, accused the Tinubu administration of worsening the economic hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians.
Through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused the government of removing relief from Nigerians while allegedly providing subsidies, waivers and incentives to multinational oil companies and businesses close to the administration.
Atiku argued that Nigerians are feeling the impact of the economic policies through higher prices of fuel, food, transportation and other essential commodities.
He cited increases in the prices of fertiliser, petrol and cement, as well as the exchange rate, as examples of the economic pressure facing households and businesses.
According to Atiku, the government cannot simply point to economic statistics while ordinary Nigerians continue to struggle with the rising cost of living.
He also used the example of a frozen-food seller in Kubwa, saying such a business owner now has to deal with higher transportation costs, expensive electricity and increased restocking expenses while customers have less money to spend.
Atiku Pushes Production Subsidy
Atiku said his proposed Production Subsidy is designed to support local production and refining, increase supply, create jobs and ultimately reduce the burden on Nigerians.
He argued that supporting domestic production would help put money back into the pockets of ordinary Nigerians.
Atiku also questioned why government intervention should be considered bad economics when it is intended to benefit ordinary Nigerians, while similar incentives and concessions can allegedly be provided to multinational companies.
He called for more domestic production, more refining in Nigeria and policies that would reduce the cost of living.
2027 Is Already Heating Up
For me, the most interesting part of this entire development is how early the battle lines are already being drawn.
Tinubu is facing opposition from several political camps, while former allies and opposition figures are increasingly taking different positions about who can actually deliver the Nigeria people want.
Baba-Ahmed’s comments about Peter Obi are particularly significant because of their shared history.
Whether Nigerians agree with him or not, his statement has opened another conversation ahead of 2027:
If Tinubu leaves office, who exactly has the capacity to take Nigeria forward?
That question is likely to dominate political conversations as the election draws closer.
And judging from what we are already seeing, the road to 2027 is going to be anything but boring.
Leave a Reply