Former Labour Party (LP) vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has declared that only God can prevent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from winning the 2027 presidential election.
Baba-Ahmed made the statement during an interview with Trust TV while assessing Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections and examining the prospects of President Tinubu and other leading presidential contenders.
Although the former LP chieftain remains critical of some of Tinubu’s policies, he acknowledged the president’s long-standing political organisation, strategic alliances and ability to build a formidable political structure over several years.
According to Baba-Ahmed, Tinubu spent about 16 years building his political base and was instrumental in creating the political alliance that eventually brought former President Muhammadu Buhari into the political fold ahead of the 2015 presidential election.
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“Even though I don’t entirely agree with him, he did what others were not able to do. He organised for 16 years, not just plan,” Baba-Ahmed said.
“He organised for 16 years against all odds, he brought in Buhari from retirement. Buhari is from across the Niger. He stood for that.”
Baba-Ahmed described Tinubu’s emergence as president in 2023 as an exceptional political achievement, arguing that the former Lagos State governor accomplished what several other politicians had struggled to achieve.
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He also compared Tinubu’s political strategy with that of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is currently associated with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and is expected to be a major opposition figure ahead of the 2027 election.
Baba-Ahmed suggested that Atiku might have encountered resistance from political associates had he attempted to pursue some of the unconventional political strategies attributed to Tinubu.
The former LP vice-presidential candidate further claimed that Tinubu currently wields enormous influence over Nigeria’s political space and could pose a significant challenge to efforts by opposition parties to form a united front against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to him, the president could use his political influence to frustrate attempts by opposition parties to consolidate ahead of the 2027 election.
“He (Tinubu) will not allow them (opposition) to come together. He probably actually chooses candidates in the opposition parties. He installs leadership in those political parties. He does what you and I cannot imagine,” Baba-Ahmed alleged.
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He went further to emphasize the extent of what he described as Tinubu’s political influence, saying the president could be extremely difficult to defeat at the polls.
“If Tinubu says something will happen, only God Almighty can stop it. If he says to be declared in 2027, only God Almighty can stop it,” Baba-Ahmed said.
The statement has attracted attention because of Baba-Ahmed’s previous role as the running mate to Peter Obi on the Labour Party ticket during the 2023 presidential election.
When asked whether his assessment amounted to praise or criticism of President Tinubu, Baba-Ahmed said it was open to interpretation.
“It is anybody’s business to interpret it anyhow. I only state the facts. And the fact is Nigeria now belongs to Tinubu,” he said.
The 2027 presidential race is expected to witness intense political realignments as the ruling APC and opposition parties seek to consolidate their respective political structures ahead of the election.
With several prominent political figures positioning themselves for the contest, the ability of opposition parties to form a strong coalition is likely to remain a major issue in the months leading to the election.
Baba-Ahmed’s comments therefore offer an insight into how some opposition figures perceive Tinubu’s political machinery and his prospects of retaining power in 2027, even as political parties continue to strategies for what is expected to be a fiercely contested presidential election.
