Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 elections alongside Peter Obi, officially declared his intention to run for the 2027 presidency on Wednesday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. Although his announcement followed closely after the former Anambra State governor’s move to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Baba-Ahmed emphasized that Obi’s exit did not influence his decision.
Baba-Ahmed further expressed his lack of confidence in the ADC, describing the coalition group as a collection of discontented politicians.
His declaration is perceived as a move by the Labour Party to restore internal stability and signal continuity as it grapples with leadership uncertainties and political realignment.
While speaking to the party’s members and supporters, he disclosed that his presidential ambition was long-standing and self-driven, explaining that he had the intention to run for president even before the 2023 elections.
“I have made myself to contest for the office in 2027. I’m not following anybody’s trajectory or stepping into anybody’s shoes.
“Can I please 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.
“In October 2018, I participated in the primaries of the then PDP in Port Harcourt and walked to Obi for his vote, and he smiled at me. What a gentleman he was.
“If you heard me well in what I just submitted, 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 stated.
Baba-Ahmed also responded to fears surrounding religion and ethnicity, emphasizing that the Nigerian Constitution upholds the right of every eligible citizen to contest for elective positions
“Yes, I am a practicing Muslim. But I’m a Nigerian, and the constitution allows me to contest. You asked about my ethnicity. Yes, I am a Hausa man, and the Nigerian constitution also allows me to contest. I’m doing this because Nigeria needs help.”
He stated that although he had announced his ambition, he would strictly comply with all party rules and electoral regulations.
“However, as a law-abiding citizen and a loyal party member, until the timetable is released by INEC and the leadership of the Labour Party calls for interested aspirants, I will not say anything about it. But remember, I told you that Nigerians know the truth.”
The Labour Party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, commended Baba-Ahmed for staying with the party despite widespread assumptions that he would defect after Obi’s departure. He said the move showed that the party remained united, noting that other prominent members, including Abia State Governor Alex Otti, had also decided to remain.
“Only recently, the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, told the world that he joined the party before Peter Obi did – this is true. Otti also said he was not going to defect to Peter Obi.
“On the night Peter Obi defected, I received a telephone call from our Vice-Presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Dr Datti Baba-Ahmed. He said he is not leaving the party because it was the platform upon which he, along with the former candidate, received 10 million votes from Nigerians, which was reduced to 6 million votes. We all know what happened.”
“In fact, he asked me to organise an event where members can come together. He first suggested that we meet at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel with a few senior members that he would foot the bill.
“But I suggested that we hold the event here at the party Secretariat and invite our members, artisans, and ordinary people who truly own the party, and he agreed. That is why we are having this gathering here today.
“The Labour Party is intact, we will not let Nigerians down. We will remain together and provide a genuine alternative for Nigerians,” he added.
