Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) vice presidential candidate, has endorsed his former running mate, Peter Obi, as a leading contender for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition’s presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 elections. Speaking on Thursday, Baba-Ahmed argued that Obi, the former Anambra State governor, should not settle for a vice presidential role due to his strong performance in the 2023 election, where he reportedly secured a disputed 10 million votes.
Baba-Ahmed named Obi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi as frontrunners for the ADC coalition’s presidential ticket. “The position of VP is very big… But I think Peter Obi should not be a VP,” he stated, emphasizing Obi’s electoral strength. Baba-Ahmed, who claimed he was “rigged out” as a VP candidate in 2023, maintained that Obi deserves to lead the coalition’s charge.
Dismissing the notion that only a coalition can defeat President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Baba-Ahmed cited the Labour Party’s 2023 performance, asserting that it defeated both the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) without a coalition. “It’s all about a narrative that was sold out to Nigeria very quickly, that to defeat Tinubu, it has to be a coalition. Coalition is good, but in 2023 we defeated APC, PDP,” he said.
He argued that the true coalition Nigeria needs is at the ballot box, not through political alliances. “The real coalition is of votes at the ballot box. You protect them all the way to declaration,” Baba-Ahmed stated, rejecting the idea that a coalition is the only way to unseat a ruling party.
Following the ADC coalition’s launch on Wednesday, Obi announced his defection to the ADC. However, Baba-Ahmed, who attended the coalition’s meetings and launch, clarified that he remains a member of the Labour Party. The ADC coalition, unveiled with former Senate President David Mark as interim National Chairman, is positioning itself as a formidable opposition to the APC in 2027.