2027: Peter Obi’s ex-running mate, Baba-Ahmed, declares presidential ambition

The 2023 Vice Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Datti Baba-Ahmed, has declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.

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Mr Baba-Ahmed made the declaration on Wednesday while addressing supporters at a rally held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

“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,” he said.

Mr Baba-Ahmed was the running mate to the former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the 2023 election.

His declaration comes barely a week after Mr Obi announced his exit from the LP to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which some opposition leaders in the country fused into with a view to unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.

Although Mr Obi had indicated interest in the 2027 presidential race before his formal exit from the LP, there are strong indications that Mr Baba-Ahmed is aligned with the Julius Abure-led faction of the party. The faction had said the former Anambra State governor made a mistake by joining the ADC.

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Last year, the Kaduna State politician attended a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Abure-led faction, where he identified himself as a peacemaker seeking to reconcile the party’s warring factions. Mr Obi, at the time, was believed to be identifying with the Nenadi Usman-led faction of the party.

However, the faction continues to grapple with questions over its legitimacy. In April 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that the tenure of Mr Abure had expired. Despite the ruling, the faction went ahead to conduct primaries for the August 16, 2025, by-elections and the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections.

Earlier attempt to secure nomination

Mr Baba-Ahmed recalled his earlier attempt to secure a presidential ticket, noting that he had contested in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primaries before aligning with Mr Obi in the LP.

“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,” he added.

‘Nigeria needs help’

Addressing concerns about religion and ethnicity, Mr Baba-Ahmed said his decision to declare his ambition was driven by the country’s challenges.

“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.

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He also said he would strictly adhere to party and electoral processes.

“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.