Former Labour Party presidential candidate Datti Baba-Ahmed has said only divine intervention can prevent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from winning the 2027 presidential election.
Baba-Ahmed, who was the Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 election alongside Peter Obi, made the assessment while discussing the evolving political landscape ahead of the next presidential contest.
His remarks represent a striking assessment from a politician who was previously at the centre of the Labour Party’s presidential campaign that challenged the eventual outcome of the 2023 election.
Speaking about the 2027 contest, Baba-Ahmed said the political reality surrounding Tinubu’s re-election bid was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
He argued that while politicians and voters could make their own calculations, the ultimate outcome would be determined by God’s will.
The statement comes as political parties and opposition coalitions intensify their preparations for the 2027 election.
Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress has increasingly focused on consolidating its political structure across the country, while opposition figures have been working to build alliances capable of mounting a serious challenge to the president.
Baba-Ahmed’s comment is particularly notable given his political history with Peter Obi.
The pair ran on the Labour Party ticket in 2023 and attracted significant support, particularly among young Nigerians and urban voters. Their campaign became one of the defining features of that election, with Obi emerging as a major third-force candidate.
The political landscape, however, has changed significantly since then.
Obi is now associated with the opposition coalition and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, while Atiku Abubakar is positioned as the coalition’s presidential candidate for 2027.
The Labour Party itself has also undergone internal changes, while several politicians who were previously aligned with different opposition platforms have moved between parties.
Against this backdrop, Baba-Ahmed’s assessment adds another voice to the increasingly heated debate about Tinubu’s prospects.
The president and his supporters have repeatedly expressed confidence in securing another four-year mandate, pointing to the administration’s economic reforms and political reach.
Opposition politicians, however, continue to argue that economic hardship and dissatisfaction with government policies could create an opening for an alternative candidate.
The 2027 election remains more than a year away, meaning political alliances, candidate popularity and voter sentiment could still change considerably.
For now, Baba-Ahmed’s position is that Tinubu’s path to another presidential victory appears formidable and that only God can ultimately determine whether the president returns to office in 2027.