Photo: Senator Baba-Ahmed
By: Lawrence Peters
Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election, pledging continued loyalty to the Labour Party.
Baba-Ahmed made the announcement on Wednesday, January 7, during a rally at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, amid ongoing realignments within Nigeria’s opposition political space.
His declaration comes in the wake of the exit of the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, who recently defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a development that has sparked debate over the future direction of the party.
Addressing party faithful, Baba-Ahmed insisted that his presidential ambition predates recent political developments involving Obi.
“I have made myself available to contest for the office in 2027. I am not following anybody’s trajectory or stepping into anybody’s shoes,” he said.
“Before Governor Peter Obi even filed for the presidency, I had already aspired to contest. The records are there.”
He recalled his participation in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primaries in 2018 and his subsequent alliance with Obi under the Labour Party in the 2023 elections.
“In October 2018, I contested the PDP primaries in Port Harcourt and walked up to Obi to seek his vote. He smiled at me — what a gentleman,” Baba-Ahmed said.
Explaining why he stepped aside in 2023, the former lawmaker said his decision was driven by the desire for national cohesion.
“I saw a rare opportunity for national unity with the possibility of Peter Obi becoming president in 2023. That was why I supported the project,” he stated.
On concerns relating to religion and ethnicity, Baba-Ahmed maintained that the constitution guarantees the right of every qualified Nigerian to contest for the presidency.
“Yes, I am a practising Muslim and a Hausa man, but above all, I am Nigerian. The constitution allows me to contest, and I am doing this because Nigeria needs help,” he said.
He further assured that his ambition would be pursued strictly in line with party and electoral regulations.
“Until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) releases the timetable and the Labour Party leadership calls for aspirants, I will not take any further steps,” he added.
Reacting to the development, Labour Party factional chairman, Mr. Julius Abure, praised Baba-Ahmed for his loyalty to the party following Obi’s departure.
“On the night Peter Obi left the party, Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmed called to assure us that he was not leaving. He even proposed a meeting to reaffirm unity,” Abure said.
He stressed that the party remains united and focused.
“The Labour Party is intact. We will stay together and continue to offer Nigerians a credible alternative,” he added.
Baba-Ahmed’s declaration is seen as an early signal of the evolving political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
