Former lawmaker and seasoned politician Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed has urged the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its coalition partners to adopt an unconventional and strategic approach if they hope to successfully challenge President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the upcoming elections.
Speaking in an interview with Trust TV, the 55-year-old Kaduna politician emphasized that while the coalition backing the ADC is rich in both human and material resources, it suffers from an overabundance of individual ambitions that could weaken its overall effectiveness.
“The coalition is full of options, the coalition is full of resources, but the downside is that the coalition is also too full of ambitions. Ambitions have to be reduced, they have to be managed carefully,” he stated.
Drawing comparisons with past political giants, Baba-Ahmed pointed out that the ADC lacks a unifying political figure comparable to President Tinubu or former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He recalled how Tinubu shelved his personal ambition in 2007 to support the presidential bid of Atiku Abubakar and how Buhari’s mass following—estimated at 12 million loyal voters—was instrumental in unseating former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 through a well-coordinated APC coalition.
Baba-Ahmed was quick to clarify that his views were not an attack on the coalition but a realistic appraisal of its current standing and the challenges it faces. He stressed the need for a radical departure from conventional political tactics if the coalition is serious about defeating the incumbent administration.
“If you do business as usual against a seating government like Tinubu, you won’t win. You need to do what we call think outside the box. To achieve an impossible feat you truly need an impossible strategy,” he said.
In a direct message to the ADC leadership, Baba-Ahmed advised against presenting Atiku Abubakar as the party’s flagbearer, arguing that both the APC and Tinubu’s political machinery are well-versed in neutralizing Atiku’s candidacy.
“If you bring out Atiku, they know how to work against Atiku, and he is welcome to win, if he wins we will support him. You need that candidate they can’t understand, they don’t know where to catch, that is how to win an election,” he remarked.
The veteran politician further advised the ADC to avoid rallying behind a predetermined or “default” leader. He referenced the APC’s strategy in 2015, which centered around Buhari as a natural candidate, cautioning that such an approach could stifle innovative and unpredictable leadership options that might prove more effective against a powerful incumbent.
In his closing remarks, Baba-Ahmed reinforced his belief in the need for a nimble, flexible, and well-thought-out political game plan. He reiterated that defeating a sitting president like Tinubu would require more than just conventional wisdom or recycled political tactics—it would demand a transformative vision, grounded in strategic clarity and bold leadership choices.
What you should know
Baba-Ahmed, speaking on Trust TV, advised the ADC-led coalition to rethink its strategy and avoid predictable political choices, particularly cautioning against fielding Atiku Abubakar.
He stressed that defeating an incumbent like Tinubu would require an unpredictable and creative approach, not the traditional political playbook.
