Former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has said the North will soon decide on which candidates to back for the 2027 general election.
Baba-Ahmed, who recently resigned as Tinubu’s aide, made this statement in a video interview clip that went viral on social media on Sunday, in which he appeared alongside Professor Usman Yusuf, former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme.
In the interview, Baba-Ahmed emphasised that no politician can win the Nigerian presidency without support from the northern region.
He stressed that the North would decide its political stance in the next six months, and that the rest of the country would either follow or go its own way.
According to Baba-Ahmed, the North has suffered significantly in the past, particularly during the Boko Haram insurgency, which affected all groups regardless of religion or ethnicity.
He emphasised that northerners have become wiser and more discerning, and that no politician can expect to win their support without understanding and addressing their problems.
“We want a government that understands our problems and can address them,” Baba-Ahmed said, lamenting the state of the nation and urging northerners to resist divisive and deceptive politicians ahead of the next general elections.
The former presidential adviser also warned against further marginalisation of the North, noting that continued disregard for the region would have consequences.
“If they plan to rig the election, they should be careful. It won’t be good for Nigeria,” he cautioned.
However, Baba-Ahmed emphasised that the North is watching and that elders, the masses, and interest groups will soon say “enough is enough” to injustice and sidelining. “The injustice and sidelining must stop,” he stressed.
