Former presidential adviser, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has said he was verbally attacked after stating that former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, would find it difficult to defeat ex–Vice President Atiku Abubakar in a convention-based presidential primary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a position he reiterated on Thursday during an interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, where he explained that his assessment was rooted in the realities of internal party democracy, not personal sentiment, noting, “I did a programme two or three days ago, where I mentioned the fact that Peter Obi would lose 100 conventions,” and adding that he was surprised by the backlash from those who questioned how Obi could line up behind Atiku, stressing that “I am afraid it is a democratic process — that’s how it’s done,” while maintaining that if the ADC adopts a national convention to select its flagbearer, Obi would face serious hurdles due to the structure and dynamics of such contests, recalling his earlier assertion that “If ADC goes to convention, and it certainly will, because that’s what former Vice President Atiku wants, he will get the ticket,” and arguing that Obi is not accustomed to competitive convention-style primaries involving multiple aspirants, as he claimed that Obi’s posture suggests discomfort with contesting on equal footing, saying, “One of the reasons Peter Obi is saying, ‘Look at me, I’m not here for number two, I’m not here for convention, I’m here to fly the flag,’ is that he has people who were initially whispering politely to him,” but adding that those same supporters are now insisting that “Join the queue. You’re not the only one with ambition here,” while further asserting that Obi’s political rise has largely been shaped by consensus arrangements rather than open contests, remarking that “Peter Obi doesn’t do convention. He just goes there to be anointed,” and warning that such expectations could heighten internal tensions within the ADC, particularly if Atiku eventually clinches the party’s ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.
