Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has dismissed the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as ill-equipped to mount a serious challenge ahead of the 2027 general elections, arguing that the party lacks leaders with the political depth and organisational strength of figures such as President Bola Tinubu or late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking during a live interview on Channels Television on Friday, Baba-Ahmed described Tinubu as a “resourceful, focused and determined master politician,” insisting that no individual of similar calibre exists within the ADC.
According to him, the absence of such a unifying political force makes the party vulnerable to internal collapse once its primaries fail to satisfy the ambitions of leading figures.
Baba-Ahmed also questioned the credibility of the ADC’s political coalition, claiming that many of its prominent actors are former architects of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), now seeking relevance after falling out of favour.
“These are largely the same people who built the APC that is misruling Nigeria today,” he said, alleging that some ADC leaders defected only after missing out on positions or appointments within the ruling party.
He further argued that Nigerians should be wary of political rebranding that recycles familiar faces without offering a clear ideological break from the past.
Baba-Ahmed drew comparisons with the political realignments that led to the APC’s victory in 2015, noting that the circumstances that enabled that coalition no longer exist.
“They do not have a Buhari in ADC—someone others can rally behind. They also do not have a Tinubu, a focused and determined master politician,” he said, adding that his remarks should not be mistaken for praise of the president.
The former Labour Party flagbearer maintained that Nigerians are increasingly sceptical of recycled political alliances, warning that voters are unlikely to be swayed by what he described as a rebranded version of the same political class that previously failed the country.
As political parties begin early manoeuvres ahead of 2027, Baba-Ahmed’s comments reflect widening debates over leadership credibility, coalition politics and voter trust in Nigeria’s evolving political landscape.
