Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has dismissed claims that Peter Obi dropped him, saying he was the one who left because he was not convinced that Obi had a clear plan for Nigeria.
Baba-Ahmed made the remarks while discussing the 2027 presidential election and his relationship with Obi during an interview on the Mic On Podcast, hosted by Seun Okinbaloye.
The former lawmaker also explained why he would not promote the presidential ambitions of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar or Peter Obi at the expense of President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, his position was based on fairness and a desire not to give one political opponent an unfair advantage over another.
“I will not disadvantage him to unnecessarily promote Baba Atiku and Peter Obi and others. Because we have to be fair in life. And that’s what I stand for,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed further clarified that his disagreement with Obi did not mean he had withdrawn his support for the former Anambra State governor, with whom he contested the 2023 presidential election on the Labour Party platform.
Addressing reports that Obi had abandoned him, he said he was the one who decided to leave after becoming dissatisfied with what he described as a lack of a clear plan for Nigeria.
“Peter Obi did not drop me, I left him because he doesn’t have a plan for Nigeria,” Baba-Ahmed stated.
He explained that he had raised the issue with Obi on January 31, 2024, telling him that he needed to present a clear plan for the country. Baba-Ahmed added that he had not heard such a plan from his former running mate.
Despite their political differences, the former vice-presidential candidate maintained that he still supported Obi and acknowledged the role they played together during the 2023 election.
“Peter Obi knows I stood for him. I still stand by him. And it is regretful those moves he made. But it is his choice,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed added that his decision not to promote the Atiku or Obi ticket was not necessarily an indication of support for their political ambitions, stressing that he did not want to unfairly weaken Tinubu by promoting another candidate.
“I don’t want to unduly disadvantage a key opponent,” he added.
His comments come amid political realignments ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with major opposition figures and former political allies taking different positions on the direction of the country and the candidates seeking to lead it.
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