Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, running mate to Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election, has advised the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to present a presidential candidate in 2027 that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) cannot easily outmanoeuvre.
Baba-Ahmed gave the charge in an interview with Trust TV, amid speculation that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar—who played a key role in the formation of the emerging opposition coalition—might be adopted as the ADC’s candidate.
He cautioned that fielding Atiku would give the APC an edge, noting that the ruling party has already developed effective strategies for defeating him, having done so in the last two presidential elections.
“If you bring out Atiku, they know how to work against Atiku,” Baba-Ahmed said. “He is welcome to win, and if he wins, we will support him. But you need a candidate they don’t understand—someone they can’t predict or pin down. That’s how to win an election.”
The former lawmaker from Kaduna stressed that the opposition must not underestimate President Bola Tinubu’s political tenacity and strategic depth, describing him as a man who patiently pursued the presidency for 16 years before achieving his goal in 2023.
“Any coalition coming together must realise how powerful this individual called Tinubu is,” he said. “He schemed for 16 years to take it one day. He has done what nobody else has done, and I don’t see anyone in our coalition right now who can plan or sacrifice like that—like he did for Buhari in 2015.”
Baba-Ahmed's remarks underscore internal concerns within the opposition over leadership choices, as talks continue around a possible mega coalition to challenge the APC in the next general election.
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