Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has revealed that his decision to join Peter Obi on the party’s 2023 presidential ticket was largely driven by sympathy for the former Anambra State governor.
Speaking in an interview with Symfoni, Baba-Ahmed said his decision to become Obi’s running mate was not motivated by political ambition or strategic calculations but by concern over the challenges Obi faced in securing a vice-presidential partner ahead of the election.
According to him, Obi had approached three prominent politicians in 2022 to serve as his running mate, but all declined the offer.
“I have sympathy for him. And this sympathy was at the core of our relationship,” Baba-Ahmed said.
He noted that he was disappointed by the rejections Obi received and believed the situation reflected broader concerns about Nigeria’s political landscape.
“When he approached three other major politicians in 2022, I would have been glad if one of them had gone with Peter Obi in 2022. But they all avoided him. I felt bad for him and I felt bad for Nigeria as a nation,” he said.
The former senator explained that he voluntarily accepted the role because he believed it was in the country’s interest.
“I took it upon myself because naturally I have always been a volunteer. For the sake of Nigeria, I extended that sympathy to him,” he added.
The Obi-Baba-Ahmed ticket became one of the most prominent political movements during the 2023 general election, attracting significant support across the country and reshaping the political conversation ahead of the polls.
However, Baba-Ahmed acknowledged that differences have since emerged between the two politicians regarding political strategy and party affiliations.
He criticized Obi’s decision to leave the Labour Party amid its internal leadership crisis, arguing that political challenges are common across all parties and should be addressed rather than avoided.
Referring to disputes involving Julius Abure and leadership issues in other political platforms, Baba-Ahmed questioned the assumption that alternative parties would be free of similar problems.
“If Abure was a problem, what makes him think Nwosu or David Mark of ADC will not be a problem? What makes him think Seriake of NDC will not be a problem?” he said.
He maintained that political actors should remain within their parties and work to resolve internal disputes.
“So it’s the same thing wherever you go. Stay here and fix the problem and let’s work together. But he decided to move,” Baba-Ahmed stated.
The former vice-presidential candidate also rejected suggestions that his political identity was tied to Obi, stressing his independence.
“With due respect, he does not own my politics; he doesn’t own me. I am independent,” he said.
Since the 2023 elections, Baba-Ahmed has aligned himself with the Peoples Redemption Party, while both he and Obi have continued to pursue separate political paths amid ongoing realignments within Nigeria’s opposition landscape.
