A former Kano State House of Assembly candidate, Adnan Mukhtar Tudun Wada, has criticised Hakeem Baba-Ahmed over his recent comments urging former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to step aside for younger candidates in the 2027 presidential election.
In a statement issued in Kano on Friday, Adnan described Baba-Ahmed’s remarks as childish, disrespectful, and self-serving.
He insisted that leadership is about competence, not age.
“The presidency of this country is not about age; it is about someone who has the country at heart, someone with competence and a track record of hard work,”; Adnan stated.
Baba-Ahmed, who recently resigned as Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had suggested that Atiku should not run again in 2027 to allow younger Nigerians the opportunity to lead.
But Adnan, a youth himself who ran for office at age 26, questioned the sincerity of that call.
“He is making this noise when he understands that he will not get what he wants in the villa out of his selfish interest,”; Adnan said.
“Baba Ahmed doesn’t have the moral ground to speak for young people. The position he recently resigned from should have been occupied by a young man or woman. But he accepted it without hesitation.”;
He further noted the contradiction in Baba-Ahmed’s actions, stating that if he truly believed in youth inclusion, he would have declined the presidential appointment and recommended a younger person.
“Now he is all over the media making noise that he is speaking for the youth. The youth are mature enough to speak for themselves,”; Adnan said.
Defending Atiku Abubakar’s continued political relevance, Adnan argued that the former vice president remains the most vocal opposition figure in the country and someone with a proven record of empowering the youth.
“Is Donald Trump not in his 80s? Why only Atiku?”; he asked.
“This is someone whom 95% of his aides are youth. He surrounded himself with young people even when he was Vice President.”;
He further challenged Baba-Ahmed to name a young politician capable of leading the opposition the way Atiku has done.
“I challenge Baba Ahmed to tell me any young man with the capacity to stand as an opposition leader in the country. It’s only the voice of Atiku Abubakar that we are hearing,”; he said.
“All of the opposition figures have kept mute for fear of being harassed by the EFCC because they are not clean.”;
Adnan concluded by calling on Nigerians to rally around Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 elections, describing him as the only leader ready to challenge the ruling government and unite the nation.
