Tinubu Government More Oppressive Than Babangida, Abacha, Abubakar Regimes –Datti Baba-Ahmed

He urged the president not to seek re-election in 2027, adding that 2027 will be between him and the Nigerian people. Former vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party in 2023 general elections, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, has described President Bola Tinubu’s administration as more oppressive than the military regimes of Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha and Abdulsalami Abubakar. He urged the president not to seek re-election in 2027, adding that 2027 will be between him and the Nigerian people. Baba-Ahmed made the remarks in an interview on The Mic-On Podcast, anchored by Seun Okinbaloye, where he accused the Tinubu administration of exercising what he described as “brute civil force” and using state institutions to suppress political opposition and dissent. According to him, the concentration of political power under the current administration was unprecedented, arguing that even past military rulers were more respectful of the Constitution. “Is it because we have an individual, because we have a civilian, that civilian is more than a maximum ruler? Because the person ruling Nigeria today is doing what even military rulers did not do,” Baba-Ahmed said. He specifically compared Tinubu’s leadership with the regimes of Babangida, Abacha and Abubakar, saying the military leaders, despite being dictators, respected constitutional principles and maintained what he described as discipline and restraint. “The military was so disciplined. They respected the Constitution. They had shame. They had principles. They had scruples. But now it is brute civil force. That's what we're experiencing in Nigeria,” he said. Baba-Ahmed advised Tinubu to prepare to hand over power and leave office after his current tenure rather than contest the 2027 presidential election. “I would simply advise ‘Uncle’ to please prepare to hand over and move away, but not to the people contesting against him, because none of them will improve Nigeria,” he said. When asked whether he included Peter Obi among those he believed would not improve the country, Baba-Ahmed answered in the affirmative. “None of that pack. Tinubu should leave the stage. All those people contesting against him, too, they were all in bed together at some point or another,” he said. “Including Peter Obi,” he added when the interviewer specifically asked about the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate. Baba-Ahmed said his position is not an endorsement of any existing politician but a call for “a whole new Nigeria,” arguing that the country needs leadership beyond politicians who previously belonged to established ruling parties. “Tell me one politician who has never been in a ruling party. Tell me,” he said. The former senator also criticised the National Assembly, alleging that the legislature has become too close to the executive and has effectively turned into an extension of the presidency. He took particular exception to lawmakers singing political songs in support of the president, arguing that such conduct undermines the independence of the legislature. “A legislature must never be that compromised to the level of singing for those who are members of their party. Singing ‘On your mandate we shall stand,’” Baba-Ahmed said. He added that, if he were still a member of the House of Representatives, he would have taken steps to prevent such conduct from recurring. Baba-Ahmed also revisited the 2023 presidential election, alleging that the electronic transmission and reporting of results through the Independent National Electoral Commission's IReV platform was interrupted and that constitutional provisions were breached. He questioned the circumstances surrounding the declaration of the presidential election result and alleged that the presence of the National Security Adviser in court during proceedings concerning the election raised questions that deserved answers. “From outside government, you had switched off IReV. From outside government, it was switched off. The Constitution was breached,” he alleged. He also questioned the circumstances surrounding the reading of a judgment, asking where the document originated and when it was received. Baba-Ahmed has consistently maintained that the Labour Party ticket of Peter Obi and himself won the 2023 presidential election and that there were constitutional grounds to challenge the process leading to Tinubu's inauguration. Despite his criticism of the current political system, Baba-Ahmed rejected military intervention as an alternative, saying the solution to bad democracy is better democracy. “The only option to bad democracy is good democracy,” he said. He also described what he called “legitimate, active civil engagement” as the way forward, urging Nigerians to leave their comfort zones and participate more actively in politics. “The good people in Nigeria must come out, sacrifice their comfort, leave their comfort zones, come out and ride out, push out the bad elements that have been destroying Nigeria,” he said. On insecurity, Baba-Ahmed argued that corruption is at the heart of Nigeria’s security crisis, claiming that eliminating corruption could address more than half of the country's insecurity problems. “How do you… Once you remove corruption, you have fought more than 50% of insecurity in Nigeria,” he said. He called for greater investment in the armed forces, including military equipment, personnel welfare and technology to monitor Nigeria's extensive borders. According to him, modern surveillance technology could allow Nigeria to monitor large stretches of its borders from central command facilities. “One individual sitting from a control command centre in Abuja can control a border of 1,000 kilometres with technology,” he said. Baba-Ahmed also criticised the government over persistent attacks and abductions, particularly the kidnapping of students, arguing that a country as wealthy and strategically important as Nigeria should have the capacity to protect its citizens. On Tinubu's economic reforms, including fuel subsidy removal and foreign-exchange reforms, Baba-Ahmed said policies could not succeed without addressing what he described as the underlying character and integrity of government. He compared governance to constructing infrastructure, saying the success of policies depends on the “foundation” on which they are built. “Those policies are supposed to rest on something. What is that thing? That is the character, content, principles, and philosophy of the leadership,” he said. Baba-Ahmed argued that economic policies would fail if corruption remains entrenched in government. “Whatever policy - however beautiful it is you bring -that is laced with corruption, it will never work,” he said. He acknowledged that some Nigerians may have benefited from the administration's economic policies but attributed such benefits largely to what he described as the president's friends and political associates. His remarks come as Nigeria's political parties and opposition groups position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections, with questions over the ability of opposition forces to mount a credible challenge to the ruling APC. Baba-Ahmed said Nigerians should focus less on personalities and more on building institutions and a political system capable of producing accountable leadership.