By Joy Yesufu
Former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has said that the North will decide on the 2027 presidential election within the next six months.
Speaking in a recent Hausa-language interview alongside Professor Usman Yusuf, former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Baba-Ahmed stated that no politician can clinch the presidency without northern support.
“In the next six months, the North will take a position. If the rest of the country agrees with us, fine. If not, we’ll go our way,” he said. “What is clear is that no one becomes Nigeria’s president without the North.”
He emphasized that the region is seeking a government that understands and addresses its challenges. Reflecting on past administrations, Baba-Ahmed criticized the outcomes of the Buhari era and the current government, saying the North remains in distress.
“After eight years of Buhari, we became wiser. Now we are in a different administration, and we are still crying. Is that all we know how to do—just cry?” he asked.
Baba-Ahmed also recalled the devastation of the Boko Haram insurgency, which he said affected all segments of the North—Muslims, Christians, Fulani, and Baju alike—calling for unity and political awareness.
“Before Buhari, Boko Haram was bombing everywhere—mosques, churches, Abuja, Lagos. That was when we realized we had to unite. Now, politicians think they can just show up and expect Northerners to fall in line. Who are they?”
He warned that any plans to rig the 2027 elections would be resisted, stating that further marginalization of the North would carry serious consequences.
“If anyone is planning to rig, they should think again. It won’t end well for Nigeria. The North is watching—elders, youths, and interest groups alike. The time will come when we say enough is enough.”
Baba-Ahmed urged Northerners to move beyond religious and ethnic sentiments in choosing future leaders, insisting that competence and integrity should be the key criteria.
“We’re tired of voting based on religion or tribe. That era is over. All we want is a leader who will fix our problems.”
