Baba-Ahmed’s call on Atiku to step aside interllectually dishonest, says Omoluabi Coalition
The Omoluabi Coalition has condemned Hakeem Baba-Ahmed’s repeated public calls for Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 race, describing it as intellectually dishonest.
In a statement signed by Convener Olumide Obayemi, the Coalition criticised involvement in Nigeria’s opposition politics, calling his actions duplicitous and aimed at weakening the opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.
The group fumed at Baba-Ahmed’s calls for Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the race, asserting that the choice to run is a personal and constitutional right, not subject to approval from self-appointed gatekeepers.
“It is both ironic and revealing,” the statement said, “that a man who claims non-partisanship has found nothing fundamentally wrong with an administration that has wrecked livelihoods, but finds endless fault with an opposition seeking to rescue the country.”
The Coalition noted that since leaving Bola Tinubu’s administration, Baba-Ahmed has refrained from criticising a government responsible for significant economic hardship, instead focusing on attacking the opposition, particularly the African Democratic Congress (ADC). This raises concerns about his true loyalties. “It is ironic,” the Coalition stated, “that someone who claims non-partisanship has found nothing wrong with an administration that has devastated livelihoods while endlessly critiquing an opposition that seeks to rescue the country.” They also criticized Baba-Ahmed for undermining discussions on succession and leadership aspirations, asserting that all Nigerians, including supporters of Peter Obi, have the right to express their political demands peacefully.
“No individual—certainly not Hakeem Baba-Ahmed—has the moral or democratic authority to criminalise political demands simply because he disagrees with them,” the Coalition said.
“Supporters of Peter Obi are entitled to their views, just as supporters of Atiku Abubakar or any other aspirant are. Democracy does not require silence; it requires engagement.”
The group accused Baba-Ahmed of actively stoking internal tensions within the opposition in a bid to fracture unity and hand advantage to the ruling party.
“We challenge Hakeem Baba-Ahmed to clarify his position,” the statement concluded, questioning whether he is an independent voice or unwittingly supporting President Tinubu’s re-election. The Coalition further expressed concern about his family’s public hostility toward Peter Obi, suggesting a coordinated attempt to disrupt opposition unity.
