‘Why Buhari Didn’t Want Tinubu to Become President’ – Baba-Ahmed

The National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has claimed that former President Muhammadu Buhari was reluctant to support the emergence of Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s president in 2023 because he believed Tinubu’s leadership could have negative consequences for the country.

Baba-Ahmed made the allegation while speaking at a summit organised by the Northern Elders Forum.

His comments were captured in a video published on Symfoni’s YouTube channel on Saturday, Politics Nigeria reports.

The PRP chairman questioned the circumstances surrounding Tinubu’s presidential ambition, particularly his declaration of “Emilokan”, a Yoruba expression meaning “it is my turn”, during the build-up to the 2023 general election.

According to him, Nigerians should have paid closer attention to the statement and questioned what it meant for the country’s leadership.

“Nigerians ought to have known there was something wrong the day Tinubu said ‘It’s my turn’. Maybe we missed it,” he said.

“We have a presidency of a country of 250 million people. My turn? To do what? To become president.”

Baba-Ahmed argued that the presidency should be approached as a responsibility to serve the country rather than an ambition that an individual must fulfil.

He suggested that Tinubu’s declaration should have prompted a wider discussion about the purpose of political leadership and the interests of Nigerians.

He also claimed that Buhari had reservations about Tinubu becoming president and resisted pressure from some individuals who wanted the former Lagos State governor to succeed him.

“Even Buhari saw Tinubu as bad news for this country. In fairness to him, he is not around him. Buhari resisted some people who insisted it had to be Tinubu,” Baba-Ahmed said.

The PRP leader did not provide further details in the quoted remarks about the individuals who allegedly pressured Buhari or the specific circumstances surrounding the former president’s position.

Tinubu emerged as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2023 election and went on to defeat his major opponents at the polls.

He was sworn in as president on May 29, 2023, succeeding Buhari after eight years in office.

Since assuming office, Tinubu has introduced major economic reforms, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and changes to the foreign exchange system.

His administration has defended the measures as necessary to address long-standing economic problems and improve public finances.

However, the reforms have also attracted criticism over rising living costs, inflation and the pressure on households and businesses.

Baba-Ahmed said the country had experienced a serious decline under Tinubu’s leadership and argued that Nigerians should not be expected to accept another four years of the same administration without questioning its record.

“Now we are being depressed for having a president for three and a half years. He has dragged the country as low as it is possible to go. And it has to stop him. We cannot go below, beyond where we are,” he said.

He expressed confidence that Nigerians would eventually overcome the country’s difficulties, despite what he described as years of poor leadership and hardship.

“We are very resilient people. We have seen crises bigger than this, and we survived it. We survived it, and we will survive this one,” he said.

“We will survive the four years of abuse, neglect, and plunder that Tinubu has caused because Nigeria has to survive for our children and their children.”

The opposition party chairman maintained that the country’s future should take precedence over the political ambitions of any individual.

He accused Tinubu of placing his desire to remain in power above the welfare of Nigerians and said the administration had performed poorly across several areas of national life.

“We will not allow a president to fulfil an ambition that one individual alone can wreck his country, just to prove that he has the power and the money to do so,” Baba-Ahmed said.

“We are at the bottom. There is no way to go anymore. Every index of failure shows in this administration.”

The PRP chairman also questioned Tinubu’s approach to seeking another term in office.

He criticised the president for relying on political allies to promote his re-election ambition rather than personally addressing Nigerians about why he deserves another four years.

He further accused governors in the North of failing to adequately communicate the extent of economic hardship and public dissatisfaction in their states to the president.

According to him, the region’s political leaders should be more direct about the difficulties facing their people and the consequences for the ruling party.

Baba-Ahmed said opposition parties were working towards a coalition aimed at challenging Tinubu in 2027.

He described the discussions as a serious effort to bring politicians together, pool resources and overcome differences that could otherwise weaken their chances at the polls.

“What we have seen is an incredible willingness for politicians to come together and say, let’s put aside some of our differences and see if we can actually create a momentum strong enough to remove this Tinubu,” he said.

He added that the coalition would eventually select a presidential candidate and urged Nigerians opposed to Tinubu’s re-election to support whoever emerges from the process.

“There will be a candidate that will be produced by this coalition. Vote for whoever he is,” he said.

Baba-Ahmed also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the next general election reflects the choices made by voters.

He said the credibility of the electoral process would be crucial to determining the country’s political future.

“INEC must guarantee that the 2027 elections will reflect the will of the people,” he said.

“If it does, and it must, because the consequences are almost clear, Tinubu is done.”