2027: Datti Baba-Ahmed Rejects Peter Obi, Other Opposition Candidates as Alternatives to Tinubu
By Peace Erewunmi
Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has said none of the major politicians challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election can improve Nigeria, including his former running mate, Peter Obi.
Baba-Ahmed made the remarks during an interview on the Mic On Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye.
When asked what advice he would give President Tinubu regarding his administration, the former lawmaker said the President should prepare to leave office but argued that power should not be handed over to any of the politicians currently challenging him.
“I will simply advise uncle (Tinubu) to please prepare to hand over and move away, but not to the people contesting against him because none of them will improve Nigeria,” Baba-Ahmed said.
Asked whether his assessment included all the opposition figures contesting against Tinubu, Baba-Ahmed maintained his position.
He specifically mentioned Peter Obi, with whom he contested the 2023 presidential election on the Labour Party ticket.
“None of that part. Tinubu should leave the stage. All those people contesting against him, too—they were all in bed together at some point or another,” he said.
When asked directly whether Obi was included, Baba-Ahmed responded, “Including Peter Obi, I’m sorry to say.”
Baba-Ahmed argued that Nigerians need a completely new political direction rather than a return to politicians who have previously been associated with ruling parties.
He also defended his own political record, insisting that he had never been a member of a ruling party. He said his membership of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) was when the party was in opposition and that he did not hold an APC membership card after the CPC merged into the party.
Baba-Ahmed and Obi were running mates on the Labour Party ticket in the 2023 presidential election, but their political paths have since diverged. Obi has moved into the opposition coalition, while Baba-Ahmed has pursued his own political direction.
The latest comments highlight the growing divisions among opposition figures ahead of the 2027 presidential election, as political parties and prominent politicians continue to realign ahead of the poll.
