The National Publicity Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Professor Tukur Mohammed-Baba, has said he would be surprised if the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, performs as strongly as he did in the 2023 presidential election.

He said many political developments had taken place since 2023, including Obi’s movement across political platforms.

The ACF spokesman said the conduct of some politicians showed that politics had become centred on personal ambition rather than service to the people.

According to Mohammed-Baba, “What is becoming clear is that these people have been playing the politics of individuals. Who is going to be what? Who is going to represent a platform, and so on.

“There is everything wrong with personal ambitions, because politics is for service to the people, and so long as you are not there to serve the people, then your ambition remains what it is, personal.

“We are a country of about 220 to 230 million, and the wishes of individuals to occupy positions of authority amount to nothing. They become hollow when you want to translate it into tangible products to the electorate.”

Mohammed-Baba said many ordinary Nigerians had lost confidence in political actors and now believed they were on their own.

“I can assure you that the typical person on the street I have spoken to, and I keep talking to a lot of people, they will tell you that there is nothing. They are on their own. It’s only God that will save them. It’s only prayers. Even when people know that there are limits to prayer, there has to be action before prayer,” he said.

He added that most political parties had become vehicles for individual ambitions.

“Now, when you look at it, most of these parties, it’s all about individuals,” he said.

‘Obi’s Support Has Been Weakened’
The ACF spokesman acknowledged that Obi made significant inroads in the 2023 election but argued that developments since then had weakened his support base.

He further stated, “Yes, Peter Obi made inroads in 2023, and he performed wonderfully. But then, I think that what has happened since then has vitiated his support, and I will be very surprised if he performs as much as he did in 2023, especially given the choice in the last year or so.

“He has moved to about two or three parties, so the question we ask is, what does he want?”

Mohammed-Baba also spoke on the NDC vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who won Kano State in the 2023 presidential election while running under the New Nigerian Peoples Party.

He said there were doubts over whether Kwankwaso could repeat the feat in 2027.

“And then, of course, you take the running mate, Kwankwaso delivered Kano State, and let’s be reasonable, there is great doubt on whether he can make the same in 2027, especially now you look at it, he has been saying the wrong things,” he said.