Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, who served as Peter Obi’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election, has noted that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition is populated by individuals with aspirations for the presidency.
According to reports, the ADC coalition features several prominent political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, and ex-Senate President David Mark, among others.
In an interview with Trust TV, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed remarked that the coalition lacks a figure like Bola Tinubu—someone willing to set aside personal ambition to support other candidates, as Tinubu did for Atiku in 2007 and Buhari in 2015.
Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed acknowledged that while the ADC coalition boasts a wealth of options and resources, it is also heavily burdened by competing presidential ambitions.
“The ambitions need to be tempered and carefully managed if the coalition is to endure and make a lasting impact in Nigeria’s political history,” he stated.Baba-Ahmed also expressed concern over the coalition’s lack of a clear and cohesive strategy capable of unseating President Bola Tinubu.
He emphasized, however, that his remarks were not intended as criticism but as an honest assessment of the coalition’s current state.
Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed cautioned that adopting a business-as-usual approach against an incumbent administration like President Tinubu’s would not lead to victory.
“To achieve an impossible feat, one truly needs an impossible strategy,” he asserted, emphasizing the need for innovation and unconventional tactics.
He further pointed out that Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are well-versed in countering Atiku Abubakar, suggesting that fielding the former Vice President as the ADC’s presidential candidate in 2027 would be a strategic misstep.
He stated, “If you bring Atiku, they already know how to work against him. Of course, if he wins, we will support him. But what’s needed is a candidate they can’t predict or pin down—that’s how you win an election.
”Baba-Ahmed advised that the ADC should put forward a candidate capable of securing victory in the 2027 elections—someone with broad appeal and strategic advantage, similar to how the APC successfully presented Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
