Labour Party chieftain Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed has said former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been seeking Nigeria’s presidency since his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) days.
During an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, Baba-Ahmed mentioned that Atiku was already a presidential candidate during his service year.
He argued that Nigeria requires a new generation of leaders to address the country’s challenges but is discouraged by an expensive and difficult political system dominated by godfathers and broken promises.
According to Baba-Ahmed, “When I was doing my NYSC, Baba Atiku was an aspirant, and in 2018, we contested the primaries together. In 2023, we contested again, with me as a vice-presidential candidate elsewhere, when his vice president had left him. And, for God’s sake, in 2027 again.
“There is a need for a new generation of Nigerian leaders, and they do exist. A whole new generation is waiting for a new leader to lead them to a new party.
“There are good Nigerians capable of solving Nigeria’s problems, but they are discouraged by an expensive, difficult, and treacherous system filled with godfathers and broken promises.”
The Labour Party leader denied expressing interest in running for president in 2027, stating that he just confirmed his membership in the party and did not disclose any presidential ambitions.
“I never declared to contest the presidency, even though there could be a possibility of that happening. I certainly did not declare for the presidency. I simply reiterated my membership in the Labour Party,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed went on to say that choices on future elections would be based on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) timetable and the party’s position, encouraging the public to avoid what he described as sensational tales spreading online.
