Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labor Party’s (LP) 2023 vice-presidential candidate, has stated that none of President Bola Tinubu’s key opponents in the 2027 presidential election have the potential to change Nigeria.
Baba-Ahmed, Peter Obi’s running mate in the 2023 presidential race, made the statement while appearing on the MicOn Podcast on Saturday.
Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress’s (APC) presidential candidate, is running for re-election in 2027 against Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
According to Baba-Ahmed, the major contenders have previously been involved with political groups and regimes that he blames for Nigeria’s current situation.
“I will simply advise Uncle (Tinubu) to please prepare to hand over and move away, but not to the people contesting against him,” he said.
“Because none of them will improve Nigeria. All those people contesting against him too were all in bed together at some point or another—including Peter Obi. At some point, he was in PDP.”
The former senator said he was advocating a “new Nigeria” and claimed to be the only politician among the leading contenders who had never belonged to a ruling party.
“Tell me one politician who has never been in a ruling party. I’m the one. Have I ever been in a ruling party?” he said.
Baba-Ahmed stated that he was a member of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) but resigned before the party merged with other political parties to form the APC.
“I have never been in a ruling party. When I was in CPC, it was a little opposition party,” he said.
“I never had an APC membership card.”
The former LP vice-presidential candidate also addressed the debate regarding Tinubu’s records in the United States.
He questioned Atiku’s criticism of the president on the issue, claiming that the former vice president had not always raised it with the same intensity.
Baba-Ahmed stated that Tinubu has been given the opportunity to manage the country, but he should not strive to extend his tenure beyond his second term.
He also accused the president of undermining political parties during his tenure.
“All he did in three years was to destroy political parties,” Baba-Ahmed said.
The 2027 presidential election is projected to feature a number of important political individuals, with parties and political organizations already positioning themselves ahead of the race.
