Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation magazine, has described Datti Baba-Ahmed, Labour Party (LP) vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, as “an aggrieved person,” comparing him to a “jilted lover.”
The remark followed Baba-Ahmed’s recent criticism of members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Baba-Ahmed, who declared his intention to run for president in 2027 on Wednesday, called ADC members “disgruntled politicians.”
He also described some ex-LP members who moved to the ADC as “political travellers.”
Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme on Thursday, Momodu said Baba-Ahmed’s comments were unexpected and criticised him for letting personal frustration guide his political statements.
“He has a right to say anything. I am very, very surprised about how he talks down on other politicians,” Momodu said.
Momodu added that Baba-Ahmed was free to pursue his ambitions but noted that the Labour Party of today differs from the one in the 2023 elections.
“And the reason he is aggrieved is that he goes and pursues his own dreams and knows that, in that coalition, it is not likely….”
“I’m not bothered at all. He is an aggrieved person; he’s like a jilted lover. He ran with Peter Obi the last time; he would expect to run again, but they should not turn themselves into serial contestants.
“Only serial contestants would not think about the larger picture. The larger picture right now is that, ever before, there was Datti, and there was Atiku Abubakar, a visionary man, who saw Peter Obi as a star of Nigerian politics and picked him in 2019 against the wishes of some governors.”
He emphasised that political leaders should focus on the bigger picture, recognise the capacity of others, and work with structures capable of producing electoral success.
Momodu concluded that elections remain “a game of mathematics” and require strategic partnerships to achieve results.