Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in 2023, says President Bola Tinubu’s opponents in the 2027 election cannot improve Nigeria.

Tinubu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is seeking a second term in office.

Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) are Tinubu’s major opponents.

The 2027 presidential election will be a repeat of the 2023 poll; however, Obi was in LP at the time while Atiku was the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking on the MicOn Podcast on Saturday, Baba-Ahmed said none of the leading candidates for 2027 has the capacity to move the country forward.

Baba-Ahmed, who was Obi’s running mate in 2023, said the former governor of Anambra and the other contenders are among the breed of politicians who brought Nigeria to its current state.

“I will simply advise Uncle (Tinubu) to please prepare to hand over and move away, but not to the people contesting against him,” he said.

“Because none of them will improve Nigeria. All those people contesting against him too were all in bed together at some point or another — including Peter Obi. At some point, he was in PDP.”

The former lawmaker said he is calling for a “new Nigeria”, noting that he is the only politician who has never been a member of a ruling party.

“Tell me one politician who has never been in a ruling party. I’m the one. Have I ever been in a ruling party?” he said.

Baba-Ahmed said that although he was a member of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), he resigned before it merged with other parties to form the APC.

“I have never been in a ruling party. When I was in CPC, it was a little opposition party,” he said.

“I never had an APC membership card.”

Baba-Ahmed also weighed in on the controversy over the president’s records in the United States.

He queried why Atiku was “at the forefront of tormenting” Tinubu over his records when he had been quiet about the matter in the past.

The former vice-presidential candidate added that Tinubu has been allowed to lead but should not seek to extend his stay in power.

Baba-Ahmed said Tinubu has “qualified himself for divine intervention,” accusing the president of turning the country against political parties.

“All he did in three years was to destroy political parties,” he said.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has constituted its presidential campaign council for the 2027 elections.

President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima will serve as chairman and vice chairman of the campaign council, respectively.

Nentawe Yilwatda, the APC national chairman, will also serve as vice chairman, while Senator Abdulaziz Yari, former Zamfara state governor, has been named the campaign’s director-general.

According to the list released Saturday morning by Bayo Onanuga, the presidential spokesperson, Ajibola Basiru, national secretary of the APC, and Hadiza Bala-Usman were appointed as deputy and assistant secretaries.

“The chairman of the campaign Council, President Tinubu, will work with a body of advisers comprising Chief Bisi Akande, Chief Segun Osoba, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and Senator Florence Ita Giwa,” the statement read.

“Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abass, and Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State have been assigned as deputy director-generals for the campaign in the south and the north.

“They will work with Senator Bamidele Opeyemi and Senator Jibril Barau in the two zones.”

According to the statement, Adams Oshiomhole, former governor of Edo, will serve as deputy director-general in charge of mobilisation, while Femi Gbajabiamila, Tinubu’s chief of staff, will serve as deputy director-general for administration.

Onanuga said James Faleke, who played a pivotal role in the campaign for Tinubu’s first term, has been retained as deputy director-general for election planning, coordination and monitoring.

“Faleke will work with zonal directors, with Senator Olushola Adeyeye in the South West, Dr Ngozi Olejeme in the South South, Senator Uche Ekwunife in the South East, Muntaqha Rabe in the North West, Ahmed Muhammed Ketso in the North Central, and Senator Sani Danladi in the North East,” Onanuga said.

Other members of the council include Stella Okotete, Abdullahi Garba Ramat and Audu Maikori as secretaries of the election planning directorate; Muiz Banire as legal director; Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation (AGF); and Kingsley Udeh.

IDRIS TO COORDINATE MEDIA

Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, is to serve as the coordinating director for media and strategic communication, alongside Dele Alake, minister of solid minerals development, Onanuga, and Lanre Issa-Onilu.

The media directorate also includes Tunde Rahman, Sunday Dare, Daniel Bwala, and Felix Morka, APC national publicity secretary, who have been assigned as coordinating deputy directors. Temitope Ajayi, Arabinrin Aderonke, and Fredrick Nwabufo were listed as coordinating secretaries.

Five spokespersons have been appointed for the council, including Alake, Alwan Hassan, Ayobami Oyalowo, Kemi Asekun-Shittu and Adamu Fanda.

According to the statement, Tinubu urged all council members to work tirelessly to deliver victory for the party in the January 2027 elections.

He also encouraged the leaders of the various directorates to reach out to other party members who may not have been formally listed to join their efforts.

“We have delivered on our campaign promises and set our country on a path of economic progress. We are definitely out of the dark tunnel and are now at the cusp of reaping the benefits of a prosperous economy that will benefit all Nigerians,” the president was quoted as saying.

“As we march into the campaign season, we have many achievements to trumpet—let us confidently showcase our record and inspire hope in every corner of our nation. Let us soundly defeat all those forces who plan to take our country backwards.”

On Wednesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially opened campaigns for the presidential and national assembly elections.

The campaign window runs until January 14, 2027, according to INEC’s revised timetable.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Peter Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, are among the major contenders in the 2027 presidential election alongside Tinubu.

See the full list of the APC campaign council below.

Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun, has thanked President Bola Tinubu for allowing what he described as a “free and fair election” to hold in the state.

The governor paid a thank-you visit to Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday to present his certificate of return, which he received following his victory in the August 15 governorship election in the state.

Adeleke defeated Bola Oyebamiji, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Najeem Salaam, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) flagbearer, in the keenly contested election.

He polled 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji placed second with 444,815 votes. Salaam came a distant third with 17,180 votes.

Adeleke won in 19 LGAs, while Oyebamiji was victorious in 11 LGAs.

Addressing State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with the president, Adeleke hailed Tinubu for “jealously safeguarding” Nigeria’s democracy.

“That is why I’m here to thank Mr. President, the father of the nation, because he fought for this democracy,” he said.

“That is why he allowed free and fair elections, and that is the result. That is why I’m here, to say thank you, to ensure that democracy lives in Nigeria.”

The governor arrived at the State House at about 5:20 pm and proceeded to the president’s office for the meeting during which he presented his certificate of return.

BACKGROUND

The development follows the president’s congratulatory message to the governor on Sunday, in which he described his re-election as a “fitting assurance” that democracy will continue to flourish under his administration.

However, the APC has rejected the outcome of the election.

Oluwole Oke, director-general of the APC governorship campaign committee in the Osun election, said the party would not hurriedly congratulate Adeleke on his re-election.

According to him, the APC still believes that the Accord candidate did not score the highest number of valid votes in the August 15 election.