(Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed. Photo Credit: Wikipedia)
Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, who served as the Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has revealed that his decision to partner with Peter Obi on the presidential ticket was largely driven by sympathy for Obi after three notable politicians reportedly turned down the opportunity to run alongside him.
In an interview with Symfoni, Baba-Ahmed said that many people have misread the nature of his bond with Obi, clarifying that compassion rather than political alignment was at the heart of their relationship.
He recounted that Obi reached out to three senior politicians in 2022, none of whom agreed to join his campaign, a development that left Baba-Ahmed disheartened and motivated him to step in.
Despite this, he declined to name the politicians involved or elaborate on their reasons for refusing Obi’s offer.
Baba-Ahmed also pushed back against assumptions that he would continue to follow Obi into future political ventures, including a potential move to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
He made clear that his support for Obi’s 2023 presidential bid was a personal and voluntary choice, and that he remains his own political agent.
He stressed that Obi has no authority over his political decisions and that his involvement with the Labour Party ticket was solely guided by what he believed was in Nigeria’s best interest.
In his own words, he noted that while he had great sympathy for Obi particularly after being let down by other politicians that sympathy had its limits, and he would not be automatically expected to follow Obi’s every political move. He concluded by asserting his full political independence.