“Step Aside for a New Generation”: Hakeem Baba-Ahmed Urges Tinubu to Bow Out of 2027 Race
Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed former spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum and until recently a top adviser in the presidency, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to forgo a second term in 2027 not for political rivals, but to pave the way for a new generation of Nigerian leaders.
In a searing open letter released Wednesday, Baba-Ahmed challenged the president to reconsider his re-election ambitions, arguing that the time had come for a generational shift.
“Step aside — not for your opponents, but for a new generation of Nigerians who can carry the nation forward with fresh energy and ideas,” he wrote. “Our generation has done its time.”
The veteran political figure suggested that Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) could earn historic respect by voluntarily yielding power to emerging voices. “That way, you could catalyse a peaceful, historic transformation and inspire a new political culture rooted in merit, unity, and progress.”
Baba-Ahmed’s resignation from the Vice President’s office came just days before the publication of the letter, signaling deep dissatisfaction with the current state of governance.
He accused the Tinubu administration of failing to convert the goodwill of the 2023 inauguration into meaningful leadership, describing the much-touted Renewed Hope Agenda as little more than “a set of campaign promises, not a coherent governance plan.”
In a particularly scathing line, he declared that “more than half of your cabinet has no business managing an administration tasked with improving security, livelihoods, or public trust.”
The former NEF spokesperson warned Tinubu against allowing 2027 electoral ambitions to eclipse governance. “Two years is a long time — you can still achieve much,” he advised. “But if you shift attention now to electoral ambitions, you risk losing both governance momentum and public goodwill.”
He painted two possible futures: one of reform and legacy, and another of stagnation and eventual political erasure. “If you win again without reforming your style and strategy, you may spend four more years preserving failure. If you lose, your legacy could be wiped out in an instant.”
The letter also offered a stark regional breakdown of national sentiment, claiming widespread discontent across the country. “The north is drifting from your leadership under the weight of economic hardship, insecurity, and alienation,” he warned.
He added that the South-East remains politically disengaged, the South-South fragmented, and even Tinubu’s home base in the South-West “lukewarm,” with its privileged status turning into a political liability.
Baba-Ahmed accused Tinubu of running an “isolated” and “exclusive” presidency, disconnected from the public and insensitive to national complaints of ethnic bias and poor communication.
“Your closed-door style of leadership… and the perception that you frequently run the country from abroad while attending to personal matters have created the image of an isolated leader heading an insular administration,” he wrote.
He further slammed the government’s communication apparatus, claiming that a lack of strategic engagement has worsened public misunderstanding. “Instead, you’ve appointed a crowd of spokespersons who often confuse rather than clarify your policies.”
Baba-Ahmed also hinted at a broader northern political realignment ahead of the 2027 elections. “We know nobody will become president without the north,” he said recently, promising that the region would soon unveil its stance on the next presidential contest.
With Nigeria grappling with economic woes, insecurity, and growing political disillusionment, Baba-Ahmed’s letter is expected to stir debate — and possibly set the tone for the high-stakes political battle already brewing beneath the surface.
