Former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Political Matters, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has advised Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ex-presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to refrain from running for the presidency in 2027.
Baba-Ahmed suggested that Atiku should instead support a younger presidential candidate in the upcoming election and assume a fatherly role to that individual.
He made these comments during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday night.
Baba-Ahmed expressed his belief that a younger presidential candidate backed by Atiku would pose a significant challenge to the All Progressives Congress (APC), potentially defeating them decisively.
He stated, “If I have the chance to sit with Atiku, I would say to him – Sir, you have done your bit, you have held up the democratic process, you represented it well, your name has been written in gold, it’s time to yield the ground to a younger person; don’t run in 2027, play a fatherly role.
“Find a good and young person. If he were to field a younger person that is more capable with less skeletons in their cupboard, somebody with less liabilities, in age, health, and everything; they will take APC to the cleaners.”
Baba-Ahmed criticized the ruling party, asserting that it is attracting individuals with questionable motives.
He claimed, “APC is growing with the wrong people, all these defections are aimed at one thing, they are looking for positions or running away from EFCC.
“The people running into the APC from all over the place are actually a liability; it’s simply a refugee camp that will burst.”
