FORMER Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has warned that any attempt to rig the 2027 general election would have devastating consequences on Nigeria.
Daily Nigerian reported on Sunday, April 20, that Baba-Ahmed said the future of Nigeria would be determined by credible elections and that the North would not remain silent in the face of manipulation or marginalisation.
“If they plan to rig the election, they should be careful. It won’t be good for Nigeria. The North is watching. Elders, masses, and interest groups will soon say, ‘enough is enough.’ The injustice and sidelining must stop,” he said.
According to him, no politician can win the presidency in 2027 without the backing of the North.
Baba-Ahmed, who reportedly resigned his position on April 4, expressed deep concern over the political direction of the country. He alleged alienation of northern Nigeria in national affairs.
“In the next six months, the North will decide where it stands. If the rest of the country wants to join us, fine. If not, we will go our own way. One thing is clear: nobody can become president of Nigeria without northern support,” he said.
His exit from Tinubu’s reportedly followed a series of public disagreements, including a confrontation with Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, who had accused the Northern Elders Forum of undermining the government.
In his latest outburst – the first since he quit the Tinubu government – Baba-Ahmed said northerners had endured hardship for too long and must begin to demand better leadership.
“We want a government that understands our problems and can address them. After Buhari’s eight years, we became wiser. Now, we are in another government, and we are still crying. Is crying all we know how to do?” Baba-Ahmed said.
He added that “Before Buhari became president, Boko Haram was bombing mosques, churches, Abuja, and Lagos. That was a time northerners had to unite. Today, no politician can just show up and expect northerners to fall in line. Who are you?”
He also warned against politicians using religion and ethnicity to deceive voters, insisting that the North had learned hard lessons and is now focused on competence and character.
He said the North must make a conscious decision to shift away from identity politics and instead rally around leadership that delivers results.
“We are tired of being deceived into voting based on religion or ethnicity. That era is over. We just want a right leader. Let him fall from heaven, we just want someone who will solve our problems,” he added.
Baba-Ahmed’s warning came at a time of heightened political tension and economic hardship, as the Tinubu administration faces criticism over his economic policies, inflation, the cost-of-living crisis and persistent insecurity in Nigeria.
His warning was also on the heels of political manoeuvrings, as key power players are repositioning for 2027.
The ICIR reports that former vice president and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, recently confirmed a new coalition to square up against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 poll.
There are indications that Tinubu may seek a second term, just as the former vice president could be throwing his hat into the ring for the seventh time since he began his bid for the presidency in 1992.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M