Former political adviser to President Bola Tinubu in the Office of the Vice President, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has lambasted the ongoing efforts to form a political coalition aimed at ousting the President in the 2027 general election.
He described the movement as disappointing, self-serving, and lacking in national vision.
During an interview on Arise News Channel’s breakfast programme, ‘The Morning Show’ on Monday, Baba-Ahmed distanced himself from the initiative.
He expressed concern over a wasted opportunity to build a credible opposition.
“Let me be fair and say that I’m not involved at any level in the coalition discussions,” Baba-Ahmed stated.
“I’m merely an observer who is watching with considerable worry that an opportunity to create a strong opposition to the ruling party is being squandered by people who insist that they must be the face of that opposition.”
Baba-Ahmed noted that many of the coalition’s leaders have failed to inspire confidence or present a compelling alternative to President Tinubu’s administration.
“These are individuals who have been governors, vice-presidents, and ministers. Some have contested for the presidency three times. Now they are asking Nigerians, ‘Trust us again.’ But Nigerians can see through that. They do not represent a different future.”
According to him, the coalition effort was flawed from the outset, controlled by the same old political elite that has dominated Nigeria’s political landscape for decades. He condemned how decisions were being made within the coalition.
“It’s the wrong approach. They meet, agree, and say, ‘We’ve decided this one will be this, and that one will be that.’ Then they invite Nigerians in. That’s not how to build a credible opposition.”
Calling for a political and generational shift, Baba-Ahmed urged familiar political figures to step aside and allow new, credible Nigerians to guide the country towards a fresh political direction.
“They need a complete departure from who they are, what they’ve done, and what they still represent. They can work behind the scenes, but new faces must emerge to give Nigerians real hope,” he said.
He also lamented the lack of vision and meaningful engagement with the issues affecting everyday Nigerians, warning that the coalition risks becoming a power grab rather than a movement for change.
“Where is the vision? Where are the younger Nigerians who should be leading this country? Where is the concern that violence is destroying our communities?” he asked. “Politics should be about the people, not just about getting rid of President Tinubu.”
Dr Baba-Ahmed warned that unless opposition leaders put forward a clear, people-centred agenda with credible leadership, they may unconsciously help the All Progressives Congress (APC) to retain power in 2027.
“What they’re doing is simply handing the country back to a president they claim they want to defeat,” he stated.
Unless Miracle Happens, INEC Won’t Register ADA
Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has also expressed serious doubts regarding the likelihood of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) approving the registration of the newly proposed political party, the All Democratic Alliance (ADA).
Speaking during Arise News Channel’s ‘The Morning Show’ on Monday, which our correspondent monitored, he warned that ADA’s application is unlikely to be admitted.
“Unless a miracle happens, they (ADA) should not forget that many applications are pending before INEC, and INEC has not registered any party for quite some time,” Baba-Ahmed stated.
He emphasised that the electoral body must be cautious not to appear biased, particularly given the prominent political figures supporting the ADA.
“I do not know how it would look if INEC were to prioritise an application simply because it carries the names of prominent politicians. INEC would be implicated, and Nigerians would not be impressed.”
LEADERSHIP reports that the Nigerian National Coalition Group (NNCG) proposes ADA as a new political front.
This growing anti-Tinubu coalition reportedly includes notable political heavyweights such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, and convener of the League of Northern Democrats, Dr Umar Ardo.
After months of internal deliberation, the NNCG formally applied to INEC to register ADA as a political party on 19 June 2025. The application, stamped as received by INEC on 20 June, was signed by the association’s protem national Chairman, Chief Akin A. Ricketts.
The letter reads in part, “We respectfully write to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, requesting the registration of our association, the All Democratic Alliance, ADA, as a political party… The party’s name shall be All Democratic Alliance with ADA as our acronym and ‘Justice for All’ as our slogan.”
The movement towards forming a new party emerged after internal wrangling and trust deficits made joining existing political parties, such as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP), unattractive to the coalition. Concerns were also raised over factional crises and litigation plaguing the existing platforms.
While weighing in on the development, Baba-Ahmed acknowledged the coalition’s intent to create a neutral platform where all players feel like “shareholders,” not “tenants.”
He, however, warned that forming a new party’s political and legal technicalities could prove insurmountable.
“The technical element of creating a new party simply to establish a level playing field for everyone to feel comfortable is going to be very difficult and challenging.”
Baba-Ahmed suggested that if INEC truly feels the need to approve new parties, it should do so in such a way to avoid the appearance of partiality.
“INEC, of course, has other options. If they come under pressure and feel, ‘Look, we need to register this party,’ for whatever reason, they can register about 20 parties that will include the new one with the prominent figures. They cannot cherry-pick. They must adhere to the law regarding the registration of parties,” he stated.
No Time for New Party – Babachir Lawal
Meanwhile, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal, has asserted that there is insufficient time to register and stabilise a new political party before the commencement of campaigns for the 2027 general election.
Lawal, a key opposition coalition member, confirmed that the group had merged with an existing political party rather than forming a new one.
The former SGF explained that this decision was made to build a strong platform ahead of the 2027 polls.
The former SGF noted that the coalition initially considered two options: registering a new party or joining an existing one.
He stated, “We’ve concluded that we are joining an existing party. Critical members have already resigned to make way for new leadership. We’re finalising the list of leaders who will occupy key positions such as chairman, secretary, organising secretary, and treasurer.
“We examined several parties. Some had legal issues, others had internal management problems, and a few had pending court cases. Some were unwilling to relinquish their positions to accommodate us, while others joined without addressing our concerns. Ultimately, we found one to be the most suitable.”
Lawal also addressed the confusion caused by a splinter group led by Dr Usman Ardo, convener of the League of Northern Democrats, which is coordinating the registration of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA).
Lawal criticised the group for falsely linking key figures, including Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir El-Rufai, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, to their initiative.
“While we cannot stop him from pursuing the formation of a new party, we are moving forward,” he said. “There’s not enough time to register and stabilise a new party before the 2027 election campaigns.”
He further revealed that the coalition has in its fold former APC members, former ministers from the Buhari administration, and significant political figures like Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, though not as official representatives of their current parties.
Lawal also noted that the internal crisis within the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presented an opportunity to attract disgruntled members to the coalition.
“We are joining as individuals, not as a bloc. Many former APC members are with us. Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are also involved, though they are not joining as representatives of their respective parties,” he added.
The former SGF reaffirmed the coalition’s commitment to building a strong and inclusive platform that offers a genuine alternative to Nigerians.
“We believe this is the most practical and strategic path forward. Any claims to the contrary are either misinformed or deliberately misleading,” he stated.
We’ll Unite Under One Political Party – El-Rufai
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has said he is working hard to ensure all coalition members unite under one political party.
According to El-Rufai, when he joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the consensus was that members would remain in their legacy parties. However, once a platform exists, all of them will unite under one political party.
“Peter Obi is still a Labour Party (LP) member. The consensus was that we would be in our parties, and once we agreed on a platform, all of us would unite under that platform.
“I will do my best to ensure we unite under one political party. I was among those who brought this evil into the land; I feel I should be among the people who should remove this wicked government,” El-Rufai said.
Debunking the assertions made by Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, he stated that the key actors in the coalition are not talking about their ambitions yet.
“Big names do not equate to ambition. I have no ambition. We are not talking about ambitions now,” he said, adding that the present coalition is not similar to what happened in 2013.
He said that unlike the 2013 experience, parties are not involved in the coalition talks. Instead, the present coalition talks are led by individuals.
El-Rufai cited the Atiku group, the Peter Obi group, and the former Muhammadu Buhari ministers’ group.
“It is the leaders of these group who are leading the coalition movement, not their parties. It has nothing to do with parties, but we all agree that if we get a platform, we will leave our platforms to join the new party.”
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