Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former presidential adviser, has rejected claims that the emerging political coalition being spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is a northern agenda aimed at unseating President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, Baba-Ahmed, who recently resigned from his position as Special Adviser on Political Matters to the President, emphasized that the coalition is a multi-regional effort that includes key politicians from the southern part of the country.
“There are southerners involved in this talk about coalitions, too,” he said. “Governor Rotimi Amaechi is there, and the former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, is there. There are many others from the south who are active participants. They love the south too; they don’t want to be second to the north.”
He was reacting to suggestions that the North routinely mobilizes coalitions against Southern presidents, a notion fueled by the 2013 formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which brought together elements of the defunct CPC, ACN, and others to defeat then-President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
Baba-Ahmed pointed out that political alliances are a natural feature of Nigerian democracy and are not exclusive to moments when Southerners hold power.
“We formed a coalition in 2011/2012 with a Southerner—his name is President Tinubu now. He gave us his bit of Nigeria, and we formed a coalition between the AD and the CPC, and we created the APC,” he recalled. “It’s not a new thing. There have always been coalitions.”
The remarks come amid ongoing speculations that opposition figures are working across party lines to build a formidable alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections. The coalition is believed to be championed by Atiku Abubakar, with several disenchanted APC leaders, including some former governors from the South, reportedly involved in the talks.
Baba-Ahmed’s comments aim to dispel ethnic suspicions and redirect the focus to the broader discontent with governance under the current administration.
“People should not see every coalition through the lens of region or religion,” he added. “What matters is what kind of leadership we want for Nigeria.”
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