2027: No candidate can win presidency without the North — Tinubu’s ex-aide, Baba-Ahmed declares

…Says region will soon determine political direction

…Warns against marginalisation, election rigging

Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, has declared that no presidential candidate can win the 2027 general elections without the backing of the northern region.

In a widely shared interview that gained traction on social media on Sunday, Baba-Ahmed made assertive remarks about what he described as a political reawakening in the North. He maintained that the region’s electorate is no longer willing to support leaders who ignore or misunderstand the specific challenges it faces.

“We want a government that understands our problems and can address them,” he said. “The Boko Haram insurgency and other crises have devastated the North, and these issues cut across religion and ethnicity. Any politician who fails to prioritise our region’s needs cannot expect our support.”

Baba-Ahmed appeared in the interview alongside Professor Usman Yusuf, the former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and issued a stern caution ahead of the next electoral cycle.

“If they plan to rig the election, they should be careful. It won’t be good for Nigeria,” he warned, adding that the North would no longer tolerate electoral malpractice or political marginalisation.

The former Arewa Elders Forum spokesperson, who recently stepped down from his role in the Presidency, said he had done so in order to “rejoin the struggle for northern emancipation.” He criticised what he described as the ongoing political and economic exclusion of the region and vowed that northern voices would no longer remain silent.

“The injustice and sidelining must stop. The North is watching, and soon, our elders, our masses, and our interest groups will say ‘enough is enough’,” he declared.

He went on to say that the North’s political stance ahead of 2027 would be clearly defined within the next six months.

“We will soon