In a striking appeal that has stirred political waters, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, has called on Nigeria’s top political figures to take a final bow and leave the stage for a younger generation of leaders.
Speaking in an interview with Trust TV, Baba-Ahmed urged President Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and NNPP’s Rabiu Kwankwaso not to contest the 2027 presidential election. According to him, they have had their chance and should now allow fresh leadership to emerge.
“This generation has run its course,” he said. “They’ve exhausted their ideas and energy. Nigeria can’t afford to keep going in circles while the world moves forward.”
Baba-Ahmed criticized what he described as an outdated political culture built on ego, regional politics, and the obsession with holding onto power—regardless of results.
“The problem is we’ve turned politics into a game of entitlement,” he stated. “It’s always ‘I must win,’ even when there’s nothing left in the tank. When these leaders do get into office, they’re often too tired or too compromised to drive real change.”
He slammed the prevailing mindset that a president must serve two full terms, calling it “a dangerous myth.”
“When Buhari showed he wasn’t up to the task, we came together—NEF, Ohanaeze, Afenifere, and others—and said publicly that he shouldn’t get another four years. We were right,” he recalled. “But now it’s become a crude calculation: North had eight years, now it’s the South’s turn. What happened to competence?”
Baba-Ahmed insisted that age, health, and track record should be considered more seriously than where a candidate comes from.
“This idea that leaders must finish eight years even if they’re not performing is part of the rot,” he added. “We’re poisoning our politics with sentiment, while the country continues to suffer.”
He warned that unless the political space opens up to younger, visionary Nigerians, the country risks being trapped in an endless loop of recycled leadership and broken promises.
“We need to breathe new life into this country. These old political giants have done their part—now they should do the honourable thing and step aside,” he said.
