Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, has urged former presidential hopefuls Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso to step aside in the lead-up to the 2027 general election to give room for a new generation of leaders.
Speaking in an interview with *Trust TV*, Baba-Ahmed called for a political transition away from the country’s dominant figures—including President Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar—saying their time has passed.
“This generation of leaders has exhausted its relevance. They have little or nothing new to offer this country,” he said. “We’re witnessing a cycle of bitter politics and zero-sum games where the winner takes all, and the nation suffers.”
According to Baba-Ahmed, Nigeria needs younger, more innovative minds in leadership who can bring fresh energy and practical solutions to its pressing problems.
He also questioned the popular assumption that every president must serve two terms. “Who said a president must do eight years?” he asked. “When it became clear that Buhari was failing and unwilling to fix this country, the Northern Elders Forum took a stand. But today, some insist on two terms regardless of performance—what about the South?”
Baba-Ahmed’s remarks add to growing conversations around political renewal and generational change as Nigeria prepares for another electoral cycle.
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