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By Oscar Okhifo, Abuja
Just days after Peter Obi left the Labour Party for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), his 2023 running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has declared his own presidential ambition, saying Nigeria “needs help.”
Mr. Baba-Ahmed made the announcement on Wednesday during a rally at the Labour Party’s national secretariat in Abuja, addressing a crowd of party supporters and officials.
“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. Can I remind you that before His Excellency Governor Peter Obi filed for the presidency, I aspired for the presidency before him? The records are there for you to see,” he stated.
Baba-Ahmed, who was Peter Obi’s running mate in the 2023 election, made the declaration shortly after Mr. Obi announced his exit from the LP to join the ADC, a move some opposition leaders described as a strategy to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Although Obi had earlier indicated interest in the 2027 presidency, Baba-Ahmed appears aligned with the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party, which criticized Obi’s defection to the ADC as a “mistake.”
Last year, the Kaduna State born politician attended a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Abure faction, presenting himself as a peacemaker seeking to bridge divisions within the party.
Obi, at the time, was reportedly associated with the Nenadi Usman-led faction.
Mr. Baba-Ahmed also reflected on his earlier bid for the presidency, recalling his participation in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primaries in October 2018.
He recounted how he approached Peter Obi for support during the primaries, describing the interaction as a demonstration of Obi’s statesmanship.
“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. I saw a rare opportunity for national unity to have elected Peter Obi in 2023, and that is why I decided to flow with it,” he said.
On concerns about religion and ethnicity, Baba-Ahmed stressed that his decision to run is driven by Nigeria’s urgent challenges rather than personal background.
“Yes, I am a practicing Muslim, but I am first and foremost a Nigerian, and the constitution allows me to contest. You asked about my ethnicity; yes, I am a Hausa man, and the constitution also permits me to run. I am stepping forward because Nigeria needs help,” he said.
He added that he will strictly adhere to all party and electoral rules.
“Until INEC releases the timetable and the Labour Party officially calls for aspirants, I will remain law-abiding and loyal to the party. But Nigerians already know the truth,” he stated.