Datti served as the running mate to Peter Obi, the party's 2023 presidential candidate.
The Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, has declared his intention to contest the presidency in 2027, insisting that his ambition predates that of his former running mate, Peter Obi.
Datti served as the running mate to Peter Obi, the party's 2023 presidential candidate.
Baba-Ahmed made the declaration on Wednesday at a rally held at the Labour Party’s national secretariat in Abuja, amid internal realignments within the opposition following Obi’s recent exit from the party.
His announcement came barely one week after Obi announced his departure from the Labour Party for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a development that has sparked debate over the party’s future and leadership direction ahead of the next general election.
Addressing party members and supporters, Baba-Ahmed stressed that his presidential aspiration was long-standing and not influenced by Obi’s political moves, noting that he had sought the presidency before aligning with Obi in 2023.
He said, “I have made myself to contest for the office in 2027. I’m not following anybody’s trajectory or stepping into anybody’s shoes.
“Can I please remind you that before His Excellency Governor Peter Obi filed for the presidency, I aspired for the presidency before him? The records are there for you to see.”
The former lawmaker recalled his earlier attempt to secure a presidential ticket while still in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), explaining that his decision to serve as Obi’s running mate in 2023 was driven by a belief in national unity rather than personal ambition.
He said, “In October 2018, I participated in the primaries of the then PDP in Port Harcourt and walked to Obi for his vote, and he smiled at me. What a gentleman he was.
“If you heard me well in what I just submitted, I saw a rare opportunity for national unity to have elected Peter Obi in 2023. And that is why I decided to flow with it.”
Baba-Ahmed also addressed concerns surrounding religion and ethnicity, maintaining that Nigeria’s constitution guarantees every qualified citizen the right to seek elective office.
“Yes, I am a practising Muslim. But I’m a Nigerian, and the constitution allows me to contest. You asked about my ethnicity. Yes, I am a Hausa man, and the Nigerian constitution also allows me to contest. I’m doing this because Nigeria needs help,” he said.
He, however, added that he would abide by due process within the party and the electoral body before making further moves.
"However, as a law-abiding citizen and a loyal party member, until the timetable is released by INEC and the leadership of the Labour Party calls for interested aspirants, I will not say anything about it. But remember I told you that Nigerians know the truth,” he stated.
Reacting to the declaration, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, praised Baba-Ahmed for remaining with the party despite speculation that he might defect following Obi’s departure.