A chieftain of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Datti Baba-Ahmed, says the calm nature of Northern Nigeria has kept them from speaking out on insurgency.

Baba-Ahmed stated this on Thursday while featuring in an interview on Trust TV.

He noted that some other parts of Nigeria are able to come out with civic democratic and political issues like insecurity and the exchange rate but northerners have remained calm even though they suffer the same fate.

“I’m a Northerner. I’m a proud Muslim. We’ve had insecurity all over the North, but our calm nature, our tradition, and everything has not up to date allowed people to come out and speak.

“In the South West, because of their culture, which is not bad, it is actually good. Even the meekness and the docility in the North, I’m not saying it’s bad in certain senses, it is good because there are different counts that a northerner, a Muslim, will defend his right. Do blasphemy and see. Ethnicity in the North Central, do it and see.

“But some other parts of Nigeria are able to come out with civic democratic political issues like insecurity and exchange rate.

“Remember Band A. Do you think they will ever challenge Band A in Borno or in Sokoto? No! But say anything about religion, it’s there,” he said.

Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, says his ex-principal, Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar are not opposition leaders but office seekers.

Baba-Ahmed made this remark on Thursday while fielding questions on Trust TV.

He was speaking on the forthcoming 2027 general elections and the chances of the opposition political parties.

“Peter Obi was and is still my boss. We still have a good relationship, and I hope we can somehow work together in the very near future.

“So, I’d rather move away from the individuals, speak about the variables in Nigerian politics. The variables is that most of us call them opposition.

“Peter Obi and Atiku are not opposition but mere office seekers. Opposition is when you are active, actually technically engaging the mis-ruling government on every action. Not only when it is time to seek particular office that you come out.

“Left to me, right from 2023, Peter Obi, and everyone else should have maintained that tempo that I initiated about constitutional breach,” he said.

Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former aide to President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday warned presidential candidates that coming from the North does not automatically mean them getting votes from the region in 2027.

Baba-Ahmed spoke on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Thursday.

He said, “Most northerners have moved away from the idea that just coming from the North is enough to get our votes. From the southern part of the country there are a good number that have learnt their lessons from simply voting for a candidate.

“If coming from the southern part of the country is an advantage, why does it have to be a Yoruba man being President for four years, why not pick Edo man or somebody from the South-East?”

The former presidential aide noted that Nigerians would not vote based on regional sentiment but their sufferings.

“I don’t think Nigerians would vote purely on regional terms, I think Nigerians will look at how we are being killed everyday on the street, how poverty has eaten deep, they might vote for good candidates like the ones we are fielding and then we can make a change.

“I think we are over rating this idea that coming from one part of the country qualifies you or puts you at a disadvantage of winning an election,” Baba-Ahmed added.