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None of Tinubu’s Challengers, Including Peter Obi, Can Change Nigeria — Datti Baba-Ahmed Says
None of Tinubu’s Challengers, Including Peter Obi, Can Change Nigeria — Datti Baba-Ahmed Says
Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has questioned the ability of opposition politicians seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election to fundamentally transform Nigeria.
Baba-Ahmed made the remarks during an interview on the MIC ON Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, where he assessed the political landscape ahead of the next general election and expressed doubts about the capacity of some of the leading opposition figures to deliver the kind of change Nigerians desire.
The former vice-presidential candidate said his advice to President Tinubu would be to prepare to leave office, but stressed that he would not necessarily recommend any of the politicians currently positioning themselves as his challengers as suitable successors.
He said: “I will simply advise uncle (Tinubu) to please prepare to hand over and move away, but not to the people contesting against him.
“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.”
Baba-Ahmed’s comments are particularly significant given his political history with Peter Obi, with whom he formed the Labour Party’s presidential ticket during the 2023 general election.
The duo emerged as one of the most prominent opposition combinations in the 2023 presidential race, attracting substantial support from young Nigerians and voters seeking an alternative to the two major political parties.
However, their ticket eventually finished third behind Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate has now offered a critical assessment of the political figures seeking to unseat Tinubu, suggesting that their previous involvement in Nigeria’s established political structures raises questions about whether they would be able to deliver a fundamentally different direction for the country.
His remarks also come amid growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with opposition politicians and parties exploring new alliances and platforms in an attempt to challenge the ruling APC.
Baba-Ahmed also disclosed that he had previously advised Obi against joining the African Democratic Congress (ADC), revealing that he had reservations about the move.
According to him, he questioned Obi’s decision to abandon the political arrangement he had previously been associated with and warned that the ADC might not provide the appropriate platform for the former Anambra State governor’s political ambitions.
The disclosure adds another layer to the evolving relationship between the two politicians, who jointly contested the 2023 presidential election but have since pursued separate political paths.
As preparations for the 2027 election intensify, Baba-Ahmed’s comments are likely to fuel further debate among opposition supporters over the choice of political platform, leadership and the credibility of those seeking to provide an alternative to the Tinubu administration.
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