Baba-Ahmed, has predicted that President Bola Tinubu will lose the 2027 presidential election if the poll is conducted freely, fairly and credibly.
Baba-Ahmed made the assertion during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, where he assessed the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections and discussed the prospects of the opposition parties challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“If it is a credible, free and fair election, I assure you Tinubu will lose. I won’t say before 12 noon, maybe before 4 p.m. in the evening,” he said.
The PRP chairman, however, expressed concern about the need to ensure that the election meets acceptable standards of credibility and transparency. He warned that failure to guarantee a free and fair contest could have serious consequences for Nigeria’s democracy.
Baba-Ahmed said millions of Nigerians were unhappy with the current state of affairs and were eager for an opportunity to express their dissatisfaction through the ballot box.
“If it is not [credible], I foresee a very serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy,” he said. “There are people out there, millions who are very, very angry. They desperately want an opportunity to express their anger through the ballot, and it is very important that we allow them to exercise that right. Play around that, and you are playing around with the future of this country.”
According to him, the 2027 election would provide Nigerians with an opportunity to determine whether the country would continue under the APC or witness a change in political leadership.
While expressing confidence that the APC could be defeated, Baba-Ahmed acknowledged that removing the ruling party from power would not be an easy undertaking because of its extensive political reach and influence across the country.
He cited the recent Osun State governorship election as an example of how an opposition candidate could overcome the political machinery of the ruling party.
In the Osun election, Governor Ademola Adeleke secured re-election on the platform of the Accord Party after defeating the APC candidate. Baba-Ahmed suggested that a similar upset could occur at the national level in 2027 if opposition parties are able to mobilise effectively and voters are allowed to make their choices freely.
Asked what makes the APC particularly difficult to defeat, he described the ruling party as an increasingly powerful political force with substantial influence over the country’s political institutions.
He argued that President Tinubu currently wields considerable political power, including significant influence within the National Assembly, while the APC also controls a large number of state governments.
According to Baba-Ahmed, the President has secured the backing of about 31 governors and approximately 75 per cent of lawmakers through the APC, giving the ruling party a formidable political structure ahead of the 2027 election.
Despite this political strength, the PRP chairman suggested that the administration remains concerned about its political position.
“APC is a monster eating itself up and eating everybody up,” he said.
“You have a party that has a president that is quite possibly the most powerful president who has been given by the people around him the most awesome powers to do anything he wants to do, including the National Assembly.”
He added that Tinubu appears to have accumulated enormous political influence but still behaves as though he lacks sufficient control.
“You have the president who believes he must have all the power around him, and he appears to have garnered 31 governors and quite possibly about 75 per cent of the National Assembly around him in his party, and he is still living in fear that it is not enough,” Baba-Ahmed stated.
The PRP leader also criticised recent comments by President Tinubu in defence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against allegations of bias.
Baba-Ahmed argued that political leaders should not rush to praise the electoral body before it conducts an election in which the President himself is a candidate.
His comments reflect the broader debate over the credibility and independence of Nigeria’s electoral institutions ahead of the next general elections.
The PRP chairman maintained that Nigerians must be given confidence that their votes will determine electoral outcomes, regardless of the political strength of the candidates or parties involved.
He warned that any attempt to manipulate the process could deepen public frustration and undermine confidence in democratic institutions.
The 2027 presidential election is expected to be highly competitive, with political parties already working to strengthen their structures and explore possible alliances.
The opposition faces the challenge of translating public dissatisfaction into electoral strength while overcoming the advantages enjoyed by the ruling APC in terms of incumbency, political structures and access to government institutions.
Baba-Ahmed’s comments therefore underline the importance of an electoral process that is trusted by citizens and accepted by competing political parties.
His prediction that Tinubu could lose before 4 p.m. if the election is free and fair is likely to generate further political debate as preparations for the 2027 election gather momentum.
For now, the key issue, according to the PRP chairman, is not simply which party has the strongest political machinery, but whether voters will be given the freedom to choose their preferred leaders and whether their votes will be accurately counted and respected.
As Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, political parties and electoral stakeholders will face increasing pressure to ensure that the process is transparent, peaceful and credible.
Baba-Ahmed’s warning also reflects growing concerns among opposition figures that any failure to provide a level playing field could have consequences far beyond the outcome of one election and could affect the stability and future of Nigeria’s democracy.
