…Says He Contested for President Before Obi Joined the Race
By Abu Adamu
Former Labour Party (LP) vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has declared his interest in the 2027 presidential election, a move he laced with subtle but pointed jibes at his former principal, Peter Obi.
Baba-Ahmed made his position known on Wednesday during a rally of party members and supporters at the Labour Party national secretariat in Abuja, barely a week after Obi announced his defection from the LP to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
While insisting that his ambition was neither reactionary nor influenced by Obi’s political choices, Baba-Ahmed stressed that his presidential aspiration predates the 2023 election and even Obi’s entry into the race.
“I have made myself available to contest for the office in 2027. I’m not following anybody’s trajectory or stepping into anybody’s shoes,” he declared.
“Can I remind you that before His Excellency, Governor Peter Obi, filed for the presidency, I had already aspired to be president? The records are there.”
The former lawmaker recalled his earlier attempt to clinch a presidential ticket, noting that he had contested in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries in 2018 before later teaming up with Obi under the Labour Party platform.
“In October 2018, I participated in the PDP primaries in Port Harcourt and walked to Obi for his vote, and he smiled at me. What a gentleman he was,” Baba-Ahmed said.
“I saw a rare opportunity for national unity in 2023, and that was why I decided to flow with Peter Obi.”
In a veiled swipe at Obi’s recent exit from the party, Baba-Ahmed described defectors from the Labour Party as “political travellers,” suggesting that some individuals merely passed through the party when it suited their ambitions.
“A group of political travellers welcomed in 2022 with a presidential ticket continue with their journey. Simple,” he said, adding that neither he nor the party instigated the defections.
“I earlier engaged party members to reconcile. Some heeded the call, others took offence and proceeded to defect. No regrets for me.”
Obi, the LP’s presidential candidate in 2023, recently joined the coalition-backed ADC after months of consultations with opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and urged his supporters, popularly known as Obidients, to follow him to the new platform.
Baba-Ahmed, however, maintained that the Labour Party remains proud of its electoral performance despite post-election defections. He noted that the party recorded significant gains under difficult circumstances.
“With all humility, the Labour Party can flaunt its success. In an era of financial difficulties and perfected electoral fraud, the Labour Party produced a state governor, eight senators, about 40 members of the House of Representatives and about 50 members of state Houses of Assembly,” he said, adding that he was “proud to be associated with real members” of the party.
He also addressed concerns about zoning insisting that Nigeria’s constitution guarantees every qualified citizen the right to seek elective office.
“Yes, I am a practising Muslim. Yes, I am a Hausa man. The Nigerian constitution allows me to contest. I am doing this because Nigeria needs help,” he said.
Despite his declaration, Baba-Ahmed said he would respect party procedures and the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), stressing that he would not make further moves until the Labour Party officially opens the race.
Reacting, Labour Party National Chairman, Julius Abure, praised Baba-Ahmed for remaining with the party despite widespread speculation that he might defect following Obi’s exit. He said Baba-Ahmed’s decision showed that the LP remained intact and viable.
Abure disclosed that Baba-Ahmed personally proposed a meeting of party leaders and grassroots members to reaffirm unity, a suggestion that led to the Abuja rally.
“The Labour Party is intact. We will not let Nigerians down,” Abure said, adding that other key figures, including Abia State Governor Alex Otti, had also chosen to remain in the party.