Former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has urged both President Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar not to participate in the 2027 presidential election, saying Nigeria requires a new generation of leaders. He made this statement on Tuesday during an appearance on *Politics Today* on Channels Television.
Baba-Ahmed argued that both men have a duty to step aside and allow Nigerians to choose from fresh leadership options. He said that if the decision were his, neither Tinubu nor Atiku would contest in 2027, stressing that their withdrawal would broaden the pool of credible candidates available to the electorate.
According to him, President Tinubu may not have the strength to govern beyond 2027, noting that by then he would have completed a four-year term and should consider passing leadership to someone younger, healthier, and more committed to effective governance. Baba-Ahmed added that Tinubu would have achieved his lifelong ambition of becoming president and that 2027 would be an appropriate time to bow out.
He expressed a similar position regarding Atiku, saying the former vice president also has a responsibility to refrain from seeking the presidency again. Baba-Ahmed maintained that both leaders owe it to the nation to make way for new faces, emphasizing that Nigeria needs renewed energy, fresh ideas, and a new sense of direction.
