Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former political adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says based on current developments in the North, the region will no longer vote blindly or repeat the mistakes of the past.
Baba-Ahmed, a former spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), stated this during an interview with journalists in Zaria at the weekend.
He said no politician could deceive northerners ahead of 2027, adding that anyone seeking the region’s support must explain “what he will do for us and how he will do it. We have shined our eyes now.”
Baba-Ahmed, who until recently had served as special adviser to the president on political matters attached to the Office of the Vice President, told Daily Trust in a follow-up chat yesterday, that he had initially avoided press engagements after his resignation, but spoke briefly during his daughter’s wedding in Zaria on Saturday.
While declining to elaborate, he confirmed the authenticity of a viral video featuring his comments.
In the video, he said: “Up till now, I haven’t started saying anything, I have my reasons. I just resigned from my job recently, and if I were to speak, you would see many similarities between what I would say and what Professor Usman Yusuf is saying.
“What I have to say is that the north must rise and rescue itself. Northerners must take responsibility and do the necessary for their own good. They must shun deceitful politicians and anything that causes division among them. Whatever affects the Muslims, Christians, Bajju, Fulani, Mangus and other ethnic groups affects us all.
“We have seen this before before Buhari came to power, Boko Haram was planting bombs in mosques and churches, in Abuja and Lagos. That crisis united northerners. So, no politician can now come and say ‘where are the northerners, follow me,’ and expect blind loyalty. He should tell us what he will do for us and how he will do it. We have shined our eyes now.”
He added: “We experienced Buhari’s eight years, and now, look at us still wailing under this government. Are we going to continue like this? We are also citizens. We want a government that understands and addresses our concerns.
“Therefore, the issue of the north is a serious one. What I know is that in the next six months, we will witness a serious shift that will determine the future [political] direction of the north. Other regions could decide to follow us or we go alone, all I know is that no one will become Nigeria’s president without north’s support.
“And those who are currently looking down on us will regret it, except they are willing to rig the election. And, rigging election in 2027 could be very dangerous as it could end the country called Nigeria.”
When asked whether his reference to a “shift” implied a political action towards 2027 or alignment with emerging coalitions, Baba-Ahmed said: “A time will come when an average northerner, groups like the Northern Elders Forum and those who truly care about the north, will come together and say enough is enough.
“The injustice has gone on for too long. It will come soon. We have been pushed to the wall for too long.’ But we know who we are. And those who don’t want to hear the truth are always quick to label us as opposition or claim we are spreading hatred.
“All I know is that, considering how things are going in the region, the time has come for northerners to speak up. I don’t know where it will start from; it could be from individuals, groups or politicians? I don’t know. But what I know is that an average northerner, who may have once made the mistake of voting for the wrong people just because they are from the region or from a different region but with the endorsement of some few northerners, will not repeat that mistake. It is over.”
He concluded: “What we are after now is good governance. Deceiving us will no longer work. Using expressions like, Muslim, Christian, northerner, southerner, this or that. Buhari used the expression ‘Jiki magayi’ (seeing is believing) before he became president and we didn’t realise how soon we would return to those words.”
