Former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi’s running mate in the 2023 election, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has declared that only God can stop President Bola Tinubu from securing re-election in 2027, citing the president’s extensive political organisation and dominance of Nigeria’s political landscape.
Datti made the assertion in an interview with TrustTV while assessing the political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 general elections and the prospects of the major presidential contenders.
Although he said he disagreed with many of Tinubu’s policies, Datti acknowledged the President’s longstanding ability to build political alliances, organise strategically and pursue unconventional political calculations.
According to him, Tinubu spent about 16 years building a political structure and played a significant role in bringing former President Muhammadu Buhari into an alliance ahead of the 2015 presidential election.
“Even though I don’t entirely agree with him, he did what others were not able to do. He organised for 16 years, not just plan,” he said.
“He organised for 16 years against all odds, he brought in Buhari from retirement. Buhari is from across the Niger. He stood for that.”
Datti said Tinubu’s willingness to undertake difficult political manoeuvres was a major factor behind his success in the 2023 presidential election, describing the outcome as an extraordinary political achievement.
He contrasted Tinubu’s political strategy with that of African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, suggesting that the former Vice-President might not have been able to pursue similar strategies because of opposition from people around him.
Datti described Tinubu’s 2023 victory as akin to having “won a lottery with 16 digits”, while portraying the President as having established an overwhelming grip over the country’s political space.
He further claimed that Tinubu had “overpowered almost everyone” politically and suggested that the opposition remained too disorganised to mount an effective challenge.
According to him, the President could even influence the leadership and candidates emerging from opposition parties, thereby frustrating efforts to build a united front against him.
“He (Tinubu) will not allow them (opposition) to come together. He probably actually chooses candidates in the opposition parties. He installs leadership in those political parties. He does what you and I cannot imagine,” Datti said.
He went further to make a stark prediction about the 2027 presidential election, insisting that Tinubu’s political strength was such that only divine intervention could prevent his return to the Presidency.
“If Tinubu says something will happen, only God Almighty can stop it. If he says to be declared in 2027, only God Almighty can stop it. I’m telling you this,” he said.
Asked whether his assessment amounted to praise or criticism of Tinubu, Datti said the interpretation was left to the public, maintaining that he was merely stating what he considered to be the political reality.
“It is anybody’s business to interpret it anyhow. I only state the facts. And the fact is Nigeria now belongs to Tinubu,” he said.
