The 2023 vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has thrown his weight behind former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, as the most deserving presidential candidate for the newly formed opposition coalition anchored by the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Speaking during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Thursday, Baba-Ahmed emphatically stated that Obi, who secured over six million votes in the disputed 2023 general election, should not contest as a running mate in 2027 but as the flag bearer of the coalition.
“The position of VP is very big. Anyway, I wanted to be, and I was rigged out,” Baba-Ahmed, who was Peter Obi’s running mate in 2023 said.
“But I think Peter Obi should not be a VP, having gotten a disputed 10 million votes.”
His comments come on the heels of the formal launch of the ADC-led opposition coalition, which has been rumoured to include key political figures such as Obi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
Baba-Ahmed acknowledged that the three are frontrunners but insisted that Obi has earned the right to lead the ticket.
“I believe Obi, Atiku, and Amaechi are serious contenders within the coalition. But if you look at performance and public support, Peter Obi has proven himself.”
Despite his attendance at the ADC coalition launch, Baba-Ahmed clarified that he remains a committed member of the Labour Party and has not defected.
“I attended the coalition’s meetings out of national interest. But I am still very much a Labour Party chieftain,” he said.
The Kaduna-born politician also pushed back against what he described as a manufactured narrative — that only a broad coalition of opposition parties can defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
“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 and PDP. There was no coalition in the Labour Party,” he asserted.
In his view, electoral victory is more dependent on popular support and credible vote protection than political alliances.
“The real coalition we need is in the ballot box. The real coalition is of votes at the ballot box. You protect them all the way to declaration.”
