A former Political Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has been advised to allow young people to decide their fate in the forthcoming 2027 elections.
This call was made by an activist and former Kano State House of Assembly candidate in the 2019 and 2023 general elections, Adnan Mukhtar Tudun Wada.
In a statement he issued to newsmen in Kano on Friday, Mr Mukhtar described Baba-Ahmed’s recent statement asking Atiku to shelve his presidential aspiration for the youth as childish and unbecoming of him.
Mr. Mukhtar, who also teaches in the university, advised Baba-Ahmed to keep mute and save himself from disgrace.
The statement said, “He is making this noise when he understands that he will not get what he wants in the villa out of his selfish interest.
“Baba Ahmed doesn’t have the moral ground to speak for young people, the position that he recently resigned from should have been rejected by him, it is an office that should be occupied by a young man or woman but because of his interest, he went ahead to accept the appointment and 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. I contested for election at the age of 26, Baba Ahmed was secretary to the Kaduna State Government at a young age, a retired permanent secretary but despite all these accomplishments, he went ahead to accept an appointment with President Tinubu, he didn’t say no by recommending a young man, by telling the President that he has paid his dues but he is today asking someone to step aside for the youth.
“Asking Atiku Abubakar not to contest is ridiculous, primitive and disrespectful to the Waziri of Adamawa.
“This is someone whom 95% of his aides are youth, he surrounded himself with young people when he was Vice President.
“It is just that Baba Ahmed has disappointed Atiku in previous years and is looking for ways to reconcile with His Excellency.
“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.
“The young people were given opportunities as governors and members of the National Assembly but have not done anything different.
“Is Donald Trump not in his 80’s? Why only Atiku? 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, all of the opposition figures have kept mute for fear of being harassed by the EFCC because they are not clean.”
Mr. Mukhtar further called on Nigerians to come out and rally around Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as he is the only opposition leader who can dare Tinubu and is ready to unite and salvage this country.
