Buhari Resisted Pressure to Hand Power to Tinubu, saw him as ‘Bad News’ — PRP Chair

The National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has claimed that former President Muhammadu Buhari was reluctant to support the emergence of President Bola Tinubu in 2023, alleging that he considered the latter “bad news” for Nigeria.

Baba-Ahmed made the claim at a summit organised by the Northern Elders Forum, in a video published on Symfoni’s YouTube channel on Saturday.

He also faulted Nigerians for failing to critically examine Tinubu’s presidential ambition when he declared “Emilokan”, a Yoruba expression meaning “it is my turn”, during the build-up to the 2023 general election.

“Nigerians ought to have known there was something wrong the day Tinubu said, ‘It’s my turn’. Maybe we missed it,” he said.

“We have a presidency of a country of 250 million people. My turn? To do what? To become president.”

The PRP chairman alleged that Buhari resisted pressure from some individuals who insisted that Tinubu should succeed him, adding that the former president had concerns about the implications of Tinubu’s leadership for the country.

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“Even Buhari saw Tinubu as bad news for this country. In fairness to him, he is not around him. Buhari resisted some people who insisted it had to be Tinubu,” Baba-Ahmed said.

He subsequently launched a scathing criticism of Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of worsening the country’s condition and failing to address the challenges confronting Nigerians.

“Now we are being depressed for having a president for three and a half years. He has dragged the country as low as it is possible to go. And it has to stop him,” he said.

Baba-Ahmed added that the administration had performed poorly across key indicators, accusing Tinubu of placing personal political ambition above the welfare of citizens.

“We are at the bottom. There is no way to go anymore. Every index of failure shows in this administration,” he said.

He also criticised the President for allegedly failing to personally appeal to Nigerians for another term, arguing that Tinubu had relied on political allies to promote his re-election ambition.

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The PRP chairman further accused northern governors of failing to communicate the level of economic hardship and public dissatisfaction in their region to the President.

Opposition coalition targets Tinubu’s re-election

Despite his criticism of the administration, Baba-Ahmed expressed confidence in Nigeria’s ability to overcome its current challenges, citing the resilience of its people and the country’s survival through previous crises.

“We are very resilient people. We have seen crises bigger than this, and we survived it. We survived it, and we will survive this one,” he said.

He maintained that Nigerians would overcome what he described as four years of abuse, neglect and plunder under Tinubu’s leadership, stressing that the country must endure for future generations.

Baba-Ahmed also disclosed that opposition parties were working towards forming a coalition to challenge Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

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According to him, the initiative is gaining momentum as political actors show a willingness to set aside their differences and combine resources to present a formidable challenge to the ruling administration.

“What we have seen is an incredible willingness for politicians to come together and say, let’s put aside some of our differences and see if we can actually create a momentum strong enough to remove this Tinubu,” he said.

He said the coalition would produce a presidential candidate and urged Nigerians opposed to Tinubu’s re-election to support whoever emerges as its flag-bearer.

“There will be a candidate that will be produced by this coalition. Vote for whoever he is,” Baba-Ahmed said.

He also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the 2027 general election reflects the wishes of voters.

“INEC must guarantee that the 2027 elections will reflect the will of the people,” he said, adding that a credible election would have significant implications for Tinubu’s political future.

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