Former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has said that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is far better positioned than former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, to emerge as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Party through a party convention.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Thursday,
Baba-Ahmed explained that recent comments attributed to Dr Umar Ardo, Convener
of the Northern League of Patriots and Democratic Leaders, were not meant to
suggest that Obi should not contest the presidency, but rather to highlight the
challenges he may face within the conventional party nomination process.
According to him, Obi is likely to lose if the ticket is
decided strictly through a convention rather than by consensus or endorsement,
arguing that Atiku has a clear advantage due to his experience, wider national
spread, stronger political structures, and loyal support base.
Baba-Ahmed said Atiku understands the mechanics of internal
party democracy better than other aspirants, describing him as “head and
shoulders” above the rest when it comes to emerging through a convention.
He said: “I think the comment that Dr Ardo made was not that
Peter Obi shouldn’t contest. The point he was making is that if you go through
the conventional process of bringing out a candidate for a party and that is a
convention, not an anointing, not a handover or surrender of the ticket, Peter
Obi is likely to lose. He used the word ‘likely’ many times, and I more or less
agree with him.
“Vice President Atiku is head and shoulders above all the
other candidates in terms of emerging through a convention, either through
experience or because he has wider spread, better structures, more loyal
people, and understands the mechanics of internal party democracy better than
the others.
“I think Governor Peter Obi, as well as those around him,
are not helping his case. What he really needs to do, in my view, is to go out
and soil his boots. He is one of the most travelled politicians I have seen in
recent times, and that is good for him.
“He tries to stay in touch with the grassroots, which is
also good, but what he needs to do now is to sit down with these people and
come to terms with the fact that he is now running against hardline politicians
who have their eyes on the same goal.
“What Vice President Atiku did by telling his supporters to
calm down and avoid trading insults was the right thing. That is something
Peter Obi should do even more.”
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