Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum and until recently a top aide to Vice-President Shettima, has urged President Bola Tinubu to bow out in 2027 and allow younger leaders to chart Nigeria’s future.
In a frank open letter released Wednesday, Baba-Ahmed called for the president to withdraw from a second-term ambition.
“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 stated.
He acknowledged the administration inherited a troubled economy but criticised what he called a failure to transform initial goodwill into real leadership.
“Your Renewed Hope Agenda is a set of campaign promises, not a coherent governance plan,” he noted, adding that the cabinet lacks the expertise to confront Nigeria’s core challenges.
Speaking on regional sentiment, Baba-Ahmed said, “The north is drifting from your leadership under the weight of economic hardship, insecurity, and alienation… The east remains politically disengaged… The south-west has been lukewarm.”
He also condemned Tinubu’s leadership style, describing it as exclusive and out of touch.
“Your closed-door style of leadership… has created the image of an isolated leader heading an insular administration,” he wrote.
Baba-Ahmed warned that the presidency’s current communication approach is ineffective.
“Instead, you’ve appointed a crowd of spokespersons who often confuse rather than clarify your policies.”
He concluded with a challenge to Tinubu: “Two years is a long time — you can still achieve much… But 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.”