Datti Baba-Ahmed distances himself from Peter Obi, cites sympathy for 2023 ticket
Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed reveals he joined Peter Obi's 2023 ticket out of sympathy after three unnamed prominent politicians rejected the role in 2022.
Speaking in an interview published today, Baba-Ahmed explains he stepped in because he "felt bad for him and for Nigeria" when the others avoided joining Obi. However, he declined to name the politicians who initially refused or their specific reasons.
Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, Baba-Ahmed is making his political independence clear. He firmly dismissed assumptions that he will automatically follow Obi into a new political platform like the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
"Obi does not own me. I own my independence," the former senator stated, emphasizing that his 2023 support was a voluntary decision made in what he believed was Nigeria's best interest, not a permanent binding contract.
With core political alliances already shifting ahead of the next election cycle, does this independence signal a broader fracture within the major opposition movement, or is it simply standard political strategy?