Buhari Opposed Tinubu's Presidency, PRP Chairman Claims at Northern Forum

The Peoples Redemption Party's National Chairman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has alleged that former President Muhammadu Buhari opposed efforts to position Bola Tinubu as his political heir ahead of the 2023 presidential election. Speaking at a Northern Elders Forum summit, Baba-Ahmed contended that Buhari spurned overtures from political allies supporting Tinubu's candidacy for the All Progressives Congress nomination.

Baba-Ahmed's assertion suggests that Buhari held serious reservations about Tinubu's capacity to serve as president without harming Nigeria. Baba-Ahmed has also launched attacks on Tinubu's current administration, claiming it has plunged Nigeria to unprecedented lows since taking power.

He highlighted the campaign messaging centred on the Yoruba phrase 'Emilokan', which conveyed presidential ambition. According to Baba-Ahmed, ordinary Nigerians should have questioned such rhetoric and its implications for the nation's trajectory .

At the gathering convened by the Northern Elders Forum, Baba-Ahmed delivered these observations. His remarks were subsequently recorded and shared across social media platforms.

He urged Nigerians not to allow calculations regarding the president's potential second-term aspirations to supersede the broader demands of national welfare and development. These statements represent a forceful intervention from an opposition leader.

They reference longstanding tensions between Buhari and Tinubu in the run-up to the 2023 elections. Baba-Ahmed's comments also signal emerging coordination among opposition movements, as he called for unity among rival factions preparing for contests anticipated in 2027.