Peter Obi’s former running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has urged the ex-Anambra State governor not to accept the role of vice-presidential candidate in the newly formed African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition.
Speaking on Thursday during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, Baba-Ahmed said Obi’s performance in the 2023 presidential election proves he deserves nothing less than the coalition’s presidential ticket.
Baba-Ahmed revealed that the three major contenders for the coalition’s presidential ticket are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, and Peter Obi, but stressed that Obi should not play second fiddle to anyone.
“The position of VP is very big. Anyway, I wanted to be, and I was rigged out. But I think Peter Obi should not be a VP, having gotten a disputed 10 million votes,” he stated.
The former vice-presidential candidate also rejected the popular belief that only a merger of opposition forces can unseat President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
According to Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party, without forming any alliance, performed strongly in 2023 and proved that the opposition could succeed independently.
“It’s all about a narrative that was sold to Nigerians very quickly, that to defeat Tinubu, it has to be a coalition. Coalition is good, but in 2023 we defeated APC, PDP. There was no coalition in Labour Party,” he added.
Baba-Ahmed argued that the real focus should be on securing votes and ensuring they are protected from polling units to the final declaration stage, rather than relying solely on elite political alliances.
“The real coalition we need is at the ballot box. The real coalition is of votes at the ballot box. You protect them all the way to declaration,” he said.
Meanwhile, following the ADC coalition’s official unveiling on Wednesday, Peter Obi has already announced his defection to the party.
Baba-Ahmed, however, clarified that while he attended the coalition’s meetings, he remains a committed member of the Labour Party.