Former presidential aide Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has warned that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) risks internal fractures if former Vice President Atiku Abubakar secures the party’s presidential nomination for the 2027 elections.
Baba-Ahmed made the comments on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed the party’s internal dynamics and the ambitions of its leading figures.
He noted that Atiku is well-positioned to clinch the ADC’s presidential ticket if the party holds a national convention, a scenario he believes could prompt a mass exit of disappointed aspirants and supporters.
“If ADC goes to convention, and it certainly will because that’s what Atiku wants, he will get the ticket,” Baba-Ahmed said. “When that happens, many people will walk away because a lot of them joined the party for the same goal—they want the ticket.”
He observed that the ADC currently hosts several prominent political figures whose ambitions are likely to clash once the nomination process begins.
Baba-Ahmed also highlighted former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi’s position, suggesting that Obi’s political approach is ill-suited for competitive party primaries.
“One of the reasons Peter Obi insists, ‘I’m not here to be number two, I’m not here for convention, I’m here to fly the flag,’ is that people who had quietly supported him are now saying, ‘Join the queue. You are not the only one with ambition,’” he explained.
He added that Obi is more accustomed to being selected as a consensus candidate rather than contesting against multiple aspirants.
“Peter Obi doesn’t do convention; he expects to be anointed,” Baba-Ahmed said, warning that such expectations could exacerbate tensions within the ADC.
The former adviser concluded that the party could experience significant instability following its convention.
“The ADC will bleed after its convention because it is almost certain that Atiku will win the ticket. When that happens, some people will leave,” he said.
