As opposition forces mobilize against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former political adviser to the president, has dismissed claims that the coalition is being driven by northern politicians pursuing a regional agenda.

 

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, Baba-Ahmed, who recently resigned from his advisory post, addressed rising speculation about the composition and motivation of the emerging political alliance. He emphasized that the coalition—reportedly spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar—is not a northern plot, but a broad-based national movement.

 

“The idea that this is a northern coalition is misleading,” Baba-Ahmed said. “There are southerners participating in the coalition talks as well. Governor Amaechi is part of it; so is former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola. Many individuals from the southern region are actively involved.”

 

The coalition, according to political observers, is reminiscent of the 2013 alliance that led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC)—a union that unseated President Goodluck Jonathan, a southerner, in the 2015 general elections and brought Muhammadu Buhari to power.

 

That history has reignited a common narrative in Nigerian politics: that the North often coalesces in opposition when the presidency is held by a southerner. But Baba-Ahmed rejected that framing, asserting that coalition-building is a political norm in Nigeria, not a regional reflex.

 

“Alliances happen across Nigeria, regardless of who is in power,” he said. “It’s not accurate to say that coalitions only arise when a southerner is in office. Throughout our history, every major political coalition has included people from the South.”

 

He went further to reference the political merger that led to the birth of the APC, highlighting the instrumental role played by then-ACN leader Bola Tinubu, now president.

 

“We formed a coalition in 2011/2012 with a southerner. His name is President Tinubu now. He gave us his bit of Nigeria,” Baba-Ahmed noted. “The APC was a product of both northern and southern political interests coming together.”

 

Political analysts suggest that the latest coalition talks—coming amid growing public dissatisfaction with economic conditions and insecurity—may signal the beginning of a formidable opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections. However, Baba-Ahmed’s comments seek to ensure the alliance is viewed through a national, rather than ethnic, lens.

 

“The South is not playing second fiddle,” he said. “Nigerians from all regions are coming together again to shape the country’s future.”

 

As the coalition gains momentum, all eyes remain on the potential alliances that could reshape Nigeria’s political landscape—once again.