Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, former vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, has cautioned leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition against unchecked presidential ambitions, warning that internal rivalry could derail their prospects in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking in an interview with Trust TV, Baba-Ahmed observed that while the coalition boasts prominent political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Senate President David Mark, it lacks the type of selfless leadership exemplified by President Bola Tinubu in earlier political alliances.
“The ADC doesn’t have a politician like Tinubu who was willing to shelve his own presidential ambitions to support others, such as Atiku in 2007 and Buhari in 2015,” he said.
He noted that the success of any opposition alliance would depend on the ability of its leaders to moderate their personal ambitions and develop a unified front.
“Ambitions have to be reduced and managed carefully for this coalition to survive Nigeria’s political terrain,” he advised.
Baba-Ahmed stressed that defeating a sitting government like that of Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) would require an extraordinary and unconventional political strategy.
“You can’t do politics as usual against an incumbent like Tinubu. To achieve something that seems impossible, you need a strategy that is equally extraordinary,” he said.
He also urged the coalition not to present Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate in 2027, warning that the APC is too familiar with his political playbook.
“If you bring Atiku, they know how to counter him. What is needed is a candidate who is unpredictable, someone the ruling party cannot easily decipher. That is the only path to electoral victory,” he added.
