Former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has said that President Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar should not contest the 2027 presidential election, arguing that the country needs fresh leadership.

Baba-Ahmed stated this on Tuesday while appearing on the Politics Today programme on Channels Television.

According to him, both political figures have a responsibility to allow Nigerians to choose from a new generation of leaders.

He said that if he had his way, neither Tinubu nor Atiku would run in 2027, noting that their decision to step aside would give the country a better range of options.

He argued that President Tinubu may lack the capacity to continue governing beyond 2027, adding that the president would have completed a four-year term by then and should consider handing over to a younger, healthier, and more governance-focused individual.

Baba-Ahmed also expressed a similar view about Atiku, saying the former vice president owes the country the responsibility of not seeking the presidency again.

He said: “I had an interview here where I said that if I had my way, two people would not run in 2027. They will not run at all. They are President Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. They have a really good chance of giving Nigerians a choice to pick the best candidate.

“The reason why President Tinubu shouldn’t run, I think, is that he has run out of steam. I don’t think that he has the capacity to continue to govern this country beyond 2027. I’m speaking honestly, without any prejudice to him. I think he’s fulfilled his ambition and become president of this country. By 2027, he would have served four years. It would have been the best time for President Tinubu to say, ‘I need a younger person. I need a healthier person. I need somebody who is more focused on governance.’

“And for Vice President Atiku, the same thing. They really owe this country the responsibility to say, ‘We don’t have to be presidents in 2027.’ The country needs fresh blood. The country needs a new lease of life.”