'Tinubu's legacy at risk' - former adviser urges him to step aside in 2027

Segun Adeyemi 14:27 - 24 April 2025

President Bola Tinubu. [Getty Images]

Tinubu was told to use the remaining two years of his term to address Nigeria’s most pressing issues and create space for new leadership.

In a striking open letter to President Bola Tinubu, his former Special Adviser on Political Matters, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has warned that the North is rapidly losing faith in his leadership due to worsening economic hardship, insecurity, and what he described as political alienation.

Baba-Ahmed, who previously served in Tinubu’s administration, urged the President to abandon thoughts of reelection in 2027 and instead hand over to a younger generation.

“Step aside — not for your opponents, but for a new generation of Nigerians who can carry the nation forward with fresh energy and ideas,” he wrote.

The former aide painted a bleak picture of national sentiment, stating, “The north is drifting from your leadership under the weight of economic hardship, insecurity, and alienation. The east remains politically disengaged, while the south-south is fragmented. The south-west has been lukewarm... The north-east is deeply wounded and can no longer be taken for granted.”

He criticised Tinubu’s leadership style, accusing him of running an isolated government.

“Your closed-door style of leadership... and the perception that you frequently run the country from abroad while attending to personal matters have created the image of an isolated leader heading an insular administration,” Baba-Ahmed said.

Warning against prematurely focusing on reelection, he noted: “If you shift attention now to electoral ambitions, you risk losing both governance momentum and public goodwill. If you win again without reforming your style and strategy, you may spend four more years preserving failure. If you lose, your legacy could be wiped out in an instant.”

Baba-Ahmed concluded by urging Tinubu to use the remaining two years of his term to address Nigeria’s most pressing issues and create space for new leadership.