Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, national chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), has declared that President Bola Tinubu will not survive the 2027 presidential election if it is conducted freely and fairly. Baba-Ahmed made the assertion during an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, stating: "If it is a credible, free and fair election, I assure you Tinubu will lose. I won't say before 12 noon, maybe before 4 pm in the evening."
Angry Voters Could Decide 2027 Outcome
According to The Cable, the PRP chairman warned that the consequences of undermining the electoral process would be severe for Nigerian democracy. "If it is not (credible), I foresee a very serious threat to Nigeria's democracy. There are people out there, millions who are very angry. They desperately want an opportunity to express their anger through the ballot, and it is very important that we allow them to exercise that right. Play around that, and you are playing around with the future of this country," he said.
Baba-Ahmed pointed to the Osun state governorship election as proof that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) could be removed from power, arguing that a similar outcome was achievable at the national level in 2027. He did, however, concede that dislodging Tinubu would not come easily.
Tinubu's Political Grip Still Formidable
The PRP chairman acknowledged the scale of the president's political influence, noting that Tinubu had assembled roughly 31 governors and about 75 per cent of the National Assembly within his orbit, yet still appeared unsatisfied with the concentration of power around him. "APC is a monster eating itself up and eating everybody up. You have a party that has a president that is quite possibly the most powerful president who has been given by the people around him the most awesome powers to do anything he wants to do, including the national assembly," Baba-Ahmed said.
"You have the president who believes he must have all the power around him, and he appears to have garnered 31 governors and quite possibly about 75 percent of the national assembly around him in his party, and he is still living in fear that it is not enough."
Baba-Ahmed Criticises Tinubu's Defence of INEC
Baba-Ahmed also criticised Tinubu for publicly defending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against claims of bias, arguing that no one was in a position to vouch for the electoral body until it oversaw an election in which the president himself was a contestant. The PRP chairman's comments come as INEC begins intensified preparations for the 2027 General Election, with a focus on reaching every eligible Nigerian voter before the polls, according to earlier reports from Legit.ng.
