The Labour Party’s Vice Presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, on Wednesday formally declared his interest in contesting the presidency in 2027, amid ongoing realignments within Nigeria’s opposition space.
Baba-Ahmed, who was the running mate to former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, made the declaration at a rally held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
His announcement comes barely one week after Obi announced his departure from the Labour Party for the African Democratic Congress.
This move has triggered intense debate over the party’s future and the direction of the wider opposition ahead of the next general election.
Addressing party members and supporters, Baba-Ahmed said his aspiration was neither reactionary nor dependent on Obi’s political decisions, stressing that his presidential ambition predates the 2023 election.
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 his party’s presidential ticket, noting that he had contested in the Peoples Democratic Party primaries years before aligning with Obi in the Labour Party.
