Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the 2023 vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has cautioned the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition against fielding Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election, arguing that the former vice president is too predictable to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

In an interview with Trust TV, Baba-Ahmed emphasized that President Bola Tinubu and his political machinery are already too familiar with Atiku’s strategies, having defeated him in two consecutive elections.

 

“If you bring out Atiku, they know how to work against Atiku. He is welcome to win, and if he does, we will support him,” Baba-Ahmed said. “But to win, you need a candidate they cannot understand or predict—that’s the kind of person who can defeat the APC.”

 

He advised the ADC-led coalition to carefully assess the political strength of President Tinubu, describing him as a highly strategic individual who “schemed for 16 years to become president.”

 

“Tinubu has done what nobody else has done. I don’t see anyone in our coalition today who has shown that level of long-term planning or political patience,” he noted.

 

Baba-Ahmed also reflected on Atiku’s repeated bids for the presidency, stating:

“With due respect to Atiku, this will be his seventh attempt. Other aspirants also have ambitions. Who among them would sacrifice their own dreams to support Atiku and wait eight more years?”

 

He concluded by urging the coalition to focus on unity and strategy rather than sentiment, stressing that defeating the APC in 2027 will require a fresh, unexpected candidate, not one whose political playbook is already known.