Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), has revealed that former President Muhammadu Buhari was deeply reluctant to hand over power to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2023 presidential election, believing Tinubu represented “bad news” for Nigeria.
Speaking on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at a political summit organized by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) in Abuja, with media coverage published online on Sunday, October 18, 2026, Dr. Baba-Ahmed disclosed that Buhari resisted intense pressure from key political factions pushing for Tinubu’s candidacy.
”Even Buhari saw Tinubu as bad news for this country. In fairness to him, he resisted some people who insisted it had to be Tinubu,” Baba-Ahmed stated during the summit.
The PRP chieftain heavily criticized Tinubu’s famous pre-primary declaration of “Emilokan” (“It’s my turn”), arguing that the political class and citizens failed to recognise the early warning signs.
”Nigerians ought to have known there was something wrong the day Tinubu said, ‘It’s my turn.’ Maybe we missed it,” Baba-Ahmed warned. “We have a presidency of a country of 250 million people. My turn? To do what? To become president?”
Reflecting on the state of the nation after three and a half years of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, Baba-Ahmed delivered a harsh assessment of the country’s economic trajectory:
He alleged that key performance indicators across governance and the economy have hit historic lows, plunging millions of households into severe distress.
Baba-Ahmed berated President Tinubu for avoiding campaign appearances and failing to address citizens directly with accountability regarding the impact of his policies.
Despite the current hardship, the PRP leader expressed confidence that citizens would endure the period, stating: “We will survive the four years of abuse, neglect, and plunder because Nigeria has to survive for our children.”
Dr. Baba-Ahmed concluded by confirming that opposition political parties are actively building a coalition to challenge the ruling party in the 2027 general elections, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strictly ensure that upcoming elections accurately reflect the will of the Nigerian electorate.
