As the 2027 general elections slowly creep into focus, the political landscape is already witnessing intense projections and strategic maneuvers. Weighing in on the unfolding dynamics, Datti Baba-Ahmed, the former vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has expressed deep skepticism regarding the ability of the opposition to mount a formidable, unified challenge against the incumbent administration.
In a recent interview on Trust TV, Baba-Ahmed dissected the current state of Nigerian politics, painting a picture of an extraordinarily dominant executive. According to him, President Bola Tinubu holds a tight grip on the political machinery to the extent that opposition parties might struggle to find their footing or present a cohesive front. He went further to allege that the ruling camp exerts influence even within rival political structures, subtly shaping leadership choices to keep dissent fragmented and disorganized.
Reflecting on the sheer force of the President’s political will, Baba-Ahmed remarked that challenging such entrenched momentum feels almost insurmountable, adding metaphorically that only divine intervention could alter the trajectory of the 2027 presidential race. When pressed on whether his candid assessment was meant as an endorsement or a critique, he demurred, maintaining that he was merely laying bare the raw realities of the country’s power dynamics and declaring that the current political architecture heavily favors the sitting leader.
Beyond the immediate electoral outlook, Baba-Ahmed paused to credit Tinubu’s long-term strategic patience. He noted that the President’s current dominance is not a stroke of accidental luck, but the product of nearly two decades of deliberate planning, alliance-building, and organizational grit. Recalling the historic events leading up to the 2015 elections, he pointed out how Tinubu successfully orchestrated a coalition across regional divides—most notably bringing former President Muhammadu Buhari out of political retirement—a feat many deemed impossible at the time.
While making it clear that he does not necessarily share the same political ideology, Baba-Ahmed conceded that the President executed a masterclass in political longevity and structure-building that rival camps have simply failed to replicate.
