{"id":124866,"date":"2026-01-07T20:03:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T19:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=124866"},"modified":"2026-01-07T20:03:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T19:03:29","slug":"2027-baba-ahmed-declares-2027-presidential-ambition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/2027-baba-ahmed-declares-2027-presidential-ambition\/","title":{"rendered":"2027: Baba-Ahmed Declares 2027 Presidential Ambition"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Oscar Okhifo, Abuja<\/div>\n
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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 \u201cneeds help.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Mr. Baba-Ahmed made the announcement on Wednesday during a rally at the Labour Party\u2019s national secretariat in Abuja, addressing a crowd of party supporters and officials.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI have made myself available to contest for the office in 2027. I\u2019m not following anybody\u2019s trajectory or stepping into anybody\u2019s 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,\u201d he stated.<\/div>\n
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Baba-Ahmed, who was Peter Obi\u2019s 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.<\/div>\n
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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\u2019s defection to the ADC as a \u201cmistake.\u201d<\/div>\n
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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.<\/div>\n
Obi, at the time, was reportedly associated with the Nenadi Usman-led faction.<\/div>\n
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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.<\/div>\n
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He recounted how he approached Peter Obi for support during the primaries, describing the interaction as a demonstration of Obi\u2019s statesmanship.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI 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,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n
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On concerns about religion and ethnicity, Baba-Ahmed stressed that his decision to run is driven by Nigeria\u2019s urgent challenges rather than personal background.<\/div>\n
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\u201cYes, I am a practicing\u00a0 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,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n
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He added that he will strictly adhere to all party and electoral rules.<\/div>\n
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\u201cUntil 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,\u201d he stated.<\/div>\n
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