Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba Ahmed, has revealed that sympathy for and concern for Nigeria, rather than political alignment, informed his decision to accept the party’s vice-presidential ticket ahead of the 2023 general election.
Speaking during an interview with Symfoni, Baba-Ahmed disclosed that Obi had initially approached three prominent politicians to be his running mate, but they all turned him down.
According to him, he felt sorry for Obi and the country and decided to step in.
“I felt bad for him. I felt bad for Nigeria as a nation. I took it upon myself because I have always been a volunteer for the sake of Nigeria,” he said.
The former senator, who recently dumped the Labour Party for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), stressed that his support for Obi had limits and that he remains politically independent.
“They thought I would follow Peter Obi. But I had given enough sympathy there. With due respect, he does not own my politics. He does not own me. I am independent,” Baba-Ahmed declared.
He also took a swipe at Obi’s decision to leave the Labour Party, arguing that internal crises within a political party are not enough grounds for defection.
According to him, every political platform has its own challenges, and leaders should remain to solve problems rather than move from one party to another.
“If a party chairman is a problem here, what makes anyone think there won’t be problems elsewhere? The issues are the same wherever you go. Stay and fix them,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed’s comments are the latest indication of the widening political distance between the former running mates as realignments ahead of the 2027 elections continue to reshape the opposition landscape.
