Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former special adviser on political affairs in the office of the vice-president, says the African Democratic Congress (ADC) could unravel if Atiku Abubakar emerges as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Baba-Ahmed spoke on Tuesday during an interview on Politics Today, a programme aired on Channels Television.
He said Atiku is strategically placed to clinch the party’s ticket if the ADC proceeds to a national convention.
“If ADC goes to convention, and it certainly will, because that’s what former Vice President Atiku wants, he will get the ticket,” he said.
“And then, a lot of people will walk out because a lot of people are in that party only for the same thing. They want the ticket.”
Baba-Ahmed said the presence of several high-profile politicians within the ADC makes internal rivalry unavoidable.
He said the situation could be further complicated by the political expectations of Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra state.
“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.”
Baba-Ahmed said Obi is more familiar with being adopted through consensus than competing in open primaries.
“Peter Obi doesn’t do convention. He just goes there to be anointed,” he said.
“So, 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.”