Former Special Adviser on Political Matters to the Vice President, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has said the credibility of the 2027 general elections is more important than the number of political parties that eventually field candidates.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, Baba-Ahmed was asked what would happen if key opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, fail to appear on the ballot in 2027 amid ongoing legal disputes involving the ADC and NDC.
Describing the question as speculative, Baba-Ahmed noted that all parties still have the right to exhaust the legal process.
“This will be a very difficult question to answer because it will be speculative. The ADC has the Supreme Court to go to. The other parties also have the entire legal process to exhaust,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed said it was a positive development that political parties were seeking redress through the courts and expressed hope that the judiciary would deliver justice to both the opposition and the ruling party.
“I can’t answer a question about whether they will be on the ballot or not,” he added.
On the recent Court of Appeal judgment that did not recognise some parties, Baba-Ahmed said he was reluctant to comment without full knowledge of the facts, but welcomed the ADC’s decision to approach the Supreme Court.
“We’re dealing with an ongoing legal case. This ADC saga has taken many turns and twists. Again, let me repeat, the ADC has taken the right decision to go to the Supreme Court, and they should go. The judiciary should do justice to the case before it,” he said.
Asked what the next step should be if the judgment did not favour the opposition parties, Baba-Ahmed said other political parties would still present candidates.
“There are a lot of opposition parties. If one or two are unable to field candidates for the 2027 elections, others will. What is important is that we must have credible, free and fair elections, irrespective of the number of parties on the ballot.
“Nigerians must have a free and fair election. The future of Nigeria depends on the credibility of the 2027 elections, and nobody should attempt to tinker with the electoral process,” he said.
He concluded that he had limited information on the immediate court decision and preferred to allow the courts to determine the matter based on the facts before them.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected to release the timetable for the 2027 general elections in the coming months.
