Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party (LP)’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election, while firmly ruling out any plan to follow his former running mate, Peter Obi, to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Baba-Ahmed made the declaration yesterday, at a rally held at the Labour Party’s national secretariat in Abuja, amid growing realignments within Nigeria’s opposition following Obi’s recent exit from the party.
Speaking before party members and supporters, the former Kaduna North senator said his presidential ambition is personal, longstanding, and independent of Obi’s political trajectory. “I have made myself to contest for the office in 2027. I’m not following anybody’s trajectory or stepping into anybody’s shoes,” Baba-Ahmed declared.
According to him: “Before Governor Peter Obi filed for the presidency, I aspired to the office. The records are there for you to see”.
He recalled that his presidential ambition predates the 2023 election, noting that he participated in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primaries in Port Harcourt in 2018 before later teaming up with Obi on the Labour Party platform. He said: “In October 2018, I contested the PDP primaries and even walked to Peter Obi for his vote. He smiled at me—a true gentleman. In 2023, I saw a rare opportunity for national unity and agreed to support Obi’s candidacy”.
Baba-Ahmed’s announcement comes barely a week after Obi formally left the Labour Party for the ADC, a development that has triggered intense debate over the future of the LP and the broader opposition ahead of the 2027 polls.
Addressing speculation that he might move to the ADC alongside Obi, Baba-Ahmed categorically dismissed the idea, insisting that his loyalty remains with the Labour Party. “I won’t follow Obi to ADC”, he said, while speaking to newsmen at the party headquarters, adding that: “My political future is tied to the Labour Party, not to shifting alliances”.
He described the ADC-led coalition being promoted by some opposition figures as uninspiring, referring to those driving the project as “disgruntled politicians” whose agenda, he argued, does not align with Nigeria’s urgent needs.
While acknowledging his past partnership with Obi, Baba-Ahmed stressed that political decisions must be guided by principle rather than personal relationships. He said his focus is on strengthening the Labour Party and positioning it as a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He also addressed concerns around religion and ethnicity, emphasising that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees every qualified citizen the right to seek elective office. “Yes, I am a practising Muslim and a Hausa man, but I am first a Nigerian. The Constitution allows me to contest. I’m doing this because Nigeria needs help”, he stated.
Baba-Ahmed assured party members that he would abide by due process, noting that he would wait for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to release its official timetable and for the Labour Party leadership to formally open the space for aspirants. “As a law-abiding citizen and loyal party member, I will respect the rules,” he added.
