Former Special Adviser on Political Affairs in the Office of the Vice President, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has warned that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) could suffer serious internal damage if former Vice-President Atiku Abubakaremerges as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Baba-Ahmed gave the warning during an interview, where he argued that while Atiku is strategically positioned to secure the ADC ticket, his emergence could destabilise the party and trigger defections.
According to him, Atiku would likely prevail if the ADC conducts a national convention, a process he said strongly favours the former vice-president.
“If ADC goes to convention, and it certainly will, because that’s what former Vice-President Atiku wants, he will get the ticket,” Baba-Ahmed said.
He warned that such an outcome would come at a cost to the party’s internal cohesion.
“The ADC will bleed after its convention because almost certainly former Vice-President Atiku will win the ticket, and when he does, some people will walk out, it will be severely damaged,” he added.
Baba-Ahmed said the situation is further complicated by the ambitions of Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State, whose expectations could deepen internal tensions within the party.
“One of the reasons Peter Obi is saying, ‘Look at me, I’m not here for number two, I’m not here for convention, I’m here to fly the flag,’ is that he has people who were initially whispering politely to him,” he said.
“But now they are saying, ‘Join the queue. You’re not the only one with ambition here.’”
The former political adviser suggested that Obi’s political style may not align with the realities of a competitive primary election.
“Peter Obi doesn’t do convention,” Baba-Ahmed said. “He just goes there to be anointed.”
He argued that unlike consensus-driven arrangements, a convention-based contest would strongly favour Atiku, given his experience, political machinery and influence across party structures.
Baba-Ahmed’s remarks underscore growing concerns about internal rivalries within the ADC as opposition figures position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections, raising questions about whether the party can manage competing ambitions without fracturing its ranks.
Boluwatife Enome
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