They ran together in 2023. They shared a ticket. They shared a vision. Now, they are sharing nothing but sharp words.
Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party’s presidential running mate to Peter Obi in the 2023 election, has revealed the major problem he has with the former Anambra State governor. In an interview released on X Monday, Baba-Ahmed told Peter Obi to stay away from the 2027 presidential election if he is not ready to fight.
The Core Complaint
Baba-Ahmed faulted Peter Obi’s exit from the Labour Party, noting that he would have remained to address the opposition party’s challenges. According to him, the north may not rally behind a Peter Obi and former Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso presidential ticket — a combination that has been touted by both politicians in recent weeks.
“As much as I dislike what the All Progressives Congress has done against Nigerians, someone who got the Labour Party’s ticket so easily should have stayed to fix the problem of the party no matter how difficult it is,” Baba-Ahmed said.
Then came the line that will define this feud. “My former leader saying that wherever there is a quarrel, he will walk away? So there is a quarrel in Nigeria, will he walk away? If you are not ready to fight, stay in your house.”
The implication is clear: Baba-Ahmed believes Obi is a quitter. And a quitter, he argues, has no business seeking the highest office in the land.
The Timing
The interview comes just one day after Obi and Kwankwaso dumped the African Democratic Congress for the Nigerian Democratic Congress. The move was seen as a strategic realignment ahead of 2027. But for Baba-Ahmed, it is evidence of a pattern.
Obi had earlier defected from the Labour Party, where he ran for the 2023 presidential election with Baba-Ahmed. Now he has left the ADC after a brief stay. His political home has shifted multiple times in just a few years. Baba-Ahmed is asking: Where does he stay?
The question is not just rhetorical. For opposition politicians trying to build a coalition to unseat the ruling APC, stability matters. Constant defections signal division, not unity. They suggest politicians who are more interested in finding the right vehicle than in building one from scratch.
The Northern Question
Baba-Ahmed also raised a regional concern that cuts to the heart of Obi’s 2027 ambitions. According to him, the north may not rally behind Obi and Kwankwaso’s ticket as being touted.
That is not a small warning. The north is the largest voting bloc in Nigeria. No presidential candidate can win without substantial northern support. Obi performed poorly in the north in 2023. A ticket with Kwankwaso — a northern politician with significant regional influence — was meant to solve that problem.
Baba-Ahmed is suggesting that even that might not be enough. If his assessment is correct, Obi’s path to the presidency just got even steeper.
The Bottom Line
Datti Baba-Ahmed, Peter Obi’s 2023 running mate, has told his former principal to stay away from the 2027 presidential election if he is not ready to fight. In an interview released on X Monday, Baba-Ahmed faulted Obi’s exit from the Labour Party, arguing that he should have stayed to fix the party’s problems. “If you are not ready to fight, stay in your house,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed also cast doubt on a potential Obi-Kwankwaso ticket, suggesting the north may not rally behind it. The comments come one day after Obi and Kwankwaso dumped the ADC for the Nigerian Democratic Congress — another party switch in a series of political moves.
Running Mates No More: Datti Baba-Ahmed Blasts Peter Obi
They ran together in 2023. They shared a ticket. They shared a vision. Now, they are sharing nothing but sharp words.
Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party’s presidential running mate to Peter Obi in the 2023 election, has revealed the major problem he has with the former Anambra State governor. In an interview released on X Monday, Baba-Ahmed told Peter Obi to stay away from the 2027 presidential election if he is not ready to fight.
The Core Complaint
Baba-Ahmed faulted Peter Obi’s exit from the Labour Party, noting that he would have remained to address the opposition party’s challenges. According to him, the north may not rally behind a Peter Obi and former Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso presidential ticket — a combination that has been touted by both politicians in recent weeks.
“As much as I dislike what the All Progressives Congress has done against Nigerians, someone who got the Labour Party’s ticket so easily should have stayed to fix the problem of the party no matter how difficult it is,” Baba-Ahmed said.
Then came the line that will define this feud. “My former leader saying that wherever there is a quarrel, he will walk away? So there is a quarrel in Nigeria, will he walk away? If you are not ready to fight, stay in your house.”
The implication is clear: Baba-Ahmed believes Obi is a quitter. And a quitter, he argues, has no business seeking the highest office in the land.
The Timing
The interview comes just one day after Obi and Kwankwaso dumped the African Democratic Congress for the Nigerian Democratic Congress. The move was seen as a strategic realignment ahead of 2027. But for Baba-Ahmed, it is evidence of a pattern.
Obi had earlier defected from the Labour Party, where he ran for the 2023 presidential election with Baba-Ahmed. Now he has left the ADC after a brief stay. His political home has shifted multiple times in just a few years. Baba-Ahmed is asking: Where does he stay?
The question is not just rhetorical. For opposition politicians trying to build a coalition to unseat the ruling APC, stability matters. Constant defections signal division, not unity. They suggest politicians who are more interested in finding the right vehicle than in building one from scratch.
The Northern Question
Baba-Ahmed also raised a regional concern that cuts to the heart of Obi’s 2027 ambitions. According to him, the north may not rally behind Obi and Kwankwaso’s ticket as being touted.
That is not a small warning. The north is the largest voting bloc in Nigeria. No presidential candidate can win without substantial northern support. Obi performed poorly in the north in 2023. A ticket with Kwankwaso — a northern politician with significant regional influence — was meant to solve that problem.
Baba-Ahmed is suggesting that even that might not be enough. If his assessment is correct, Obi’s path to the presidency just got even steeper.
The Bottom Line
Datti Baba-Ahmed, Peter Obi’s 2023 running mate, has told his former principal to stay away from the 2027 presidential election if he is not ready to fight. In an interview released on X Monday, Baba-Ahmed faulted Obi’s exit from the Labour Party, arguing that he should have stayed to fix the party’s problems. “If you are not ready to fight, stay in your house,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed also cast doubt on a potential Obi-Kwankwaso ticket, suggesting the north may not rally behind it. The comments come one day after Obi and Kwankwaso dumped the ADC for the Nigerian Democratic Congress — another party switch in a series of political moves.
