President Bola Tinubu could be defeated before 4pm on election day if Nigerians are allowed to vote in a credible, free and fair election, National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has declared.
Baba-Ahmed, who made the assertion while featuring on a Channels Television programme, said the outcome of the Osun State governorship election has exposed the vulnerability of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) despite its control of the Federal Government, state governments and the National Assembly.
He argued that the Osun result demonstrated that the ruling party could be defeated when votes were allowed to determine the outcome of an election.
According to him, there was no broad opposition coalition or coordinated alliance against the APC in the Osun contest, yet the party was comprehensively defeated.
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“APC was trounced in Osun. We didn’t even see a coalition or collaboration or a gang-up against the APC. Parties all competed against one another. Yet, APC was defeated,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed said the development should serve as a warning to the APC ahead of the 2027 presidential election, arguing that what happened in Osun could be replicated at the national level.
“There’s no reason why this cannot repeat itself at a national level,” he added.
The PRP chairman dismissed suggestions that there was an understanding between Tinubu and Governor Ademola Adeleke behind the Osun outcome.
He said his assessment was based on the electorate’s ability to defeat the ruling party through the ballot.
He also took a swipe at the internal workings of the APC, describing the party in unusually harsh terms.
“APC is not a party. It is a monster eating itself up and eating everybody up,” Baba-Ahmed said.
He criticised the alleged concentration of political power around the presidency despite the APC’s commanding position across the country.
He noted that Tinubu has the backing of a large number of governors and a substantial majority in the National Assembly, but argued that such political dominance had not translated into electoral security for the President.
“You have a president who appears to have garnered the support of 31 governors and quite possibly about 75 per cent of the National Assembly, yet he’s still uncomfortable. It’s politically monstrous,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed further linked the President’s political unease to the condition of the country under his administration, arguing that the concentration of political control should ordinarily give the government confidence ahead of an election.
He, however, said the strength of the ruling party could become irrelevant if the 2027 election met the standards of credibility expected of a democratic contest.
“If it’s a credible, free and fair election, I assure you, Tinubu will lose,” he declared.
Explaining the timing of his prediction, Baba-Ahmed said he was deliberately avoiding an earlier deadline but remained confident that the outcome would become clear within hours of voting.
“I won’t say before 12 noon. Maybe before 4 pm,” he said.
The PRP chairman also warned against prematurely commending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the conduct of the 2027 election.
He said the commission’s real test would come when it conducts a presidential election in which the incumbent is a candidate.
“Nobody should praise INEC until it can actually conduct an election in which the President is a contestant,” Baba-Ahmed said.
He stressed that the credibility of the electoral process would be critical not only to determining the winner of the 2027 election but also to preserving confidence in Nigeria’s democratic system.
Baba-Ahmed warned that any failure to conduct a free and fair poll could have consequences beyond the fortunes of individual political parties or candidates.
“I hope the election will be credible, free and fair. If it’s not, I foresee a very serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy,” he said.
His comments come amid heightened political preparations for the 2027 general elections.
While the APC is expected to defend the presidency, the opposition parties are seeking to build a credible challenge.
