Labour Party 2023 VP candidate Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmed questions ADC coalition’s viability for 2027, saying it lacks political heavyweights like Buhari or Tinubu
2027: Datti Baba-Ahmed Dismisses ADC Coalition Strength, Says They Lacks Unifying Figures Like Buhari or Tinubu
Labour Party’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmed, has delivered a blunt assessment of the African Democratic Congress (ADC)-led opposition coalition, warning that it lacks the kind of unifying political heavyweight needed to mount a serious challenge in 2027.
In a candid interview on Trust TV, Baba-Ahmed argued that the ADC does not possess figures with the stature, influence, or political sagacity of former President Muhammadu Buhari or incumbent President Bola Tinubu.
“They don’t have a Buhari or a Tinubu in the ADC. Tinubu has a lot of sense. They don’t have it in ADC,” he said.
He cautioned that the coalition’s internal fault lines could quickly surface once a presidential candidate emerges, predicting that several prominent names would struggle to secure broad acceptance.
“Because today, if Atiku wins the ticket, others have a problem with that. If Obi or Amaechi wins the ticket, other candidates will have a problem with it,” Baba-Ahmed stated.
“They don’t have a Buhari in ADC,” he reiterated.
Baba-Ahmed went on to commend President Tinubu’s political craftsmanship, describing him as a focused, resourced, and highly experienced operator.
“Tinubu was focused, resourced, determined. And of course, he has a lot of sense and experience that he applied into this,” he said.
Drawing a historical parallel, he referenced former President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2011 re-election, which he said rested partly on an informal understanding with northern political stakeholders that Jonathan would not seek a second term in 2015.
“They don’t have a Jonathan in the game. Why do I mean by Jonathan? Jonathan was re-elected in 2011 with the promise to northern elements that he wouldn’t contest 2015.
“So there was a promise issue, and the north felt it was time to go back to the north,” he explained.
Baba-Ahmed suggested these structural weaknesses—absence of a dominant unifying figure, potential ticket disputes, and lack of binding political promises—could severely limit the ADC coalition’s ability to coalesce into a formidable opposition force.
He hinted that a deeper discussion of the coalition’s challenges would require more time, but left little doubt about his skepticism regarding its electoral prospects in 2027. Read More
