Datti Baba-Ahmed, the 2023 vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), says former Anambra State governor Peter Obi is welcome to contest for the party’s presidential ticket in 2027, with or without him as running mate.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Baba-Ahmed stressed that Obi remains a key figure with the capacity to lead Nigeria effectively.
“The Labour Party welcomes him to still come and retain the Labour Party ticket and contest in 2027 with or without me,” he said.
“We want capacity. We want compassion. We want people who will develop Nigeria… not those who will promise governance and deliver disaster.”
He also downplayed concerns that Obi’s involvement in coalition talks led by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) amounts to anti-party activity.
“This is not an anti-party activity. It is an unfolding situation. The meaning of a coalition is that political parties, interest groups, and individuals are coming together,” Baba-Ahmed explained.
He revealed that he too has attended coalition meetings and supported broader alliances aimed at reforming Nigeria’s political system.
On the issue of zoning ahead of the 2027 elections, Baba-Ahmed declared his support for a southern president, aligning with recent sentiments that power should rotate back to the South.
Obi and Baba-Ahmed ran on the Labour Party ticket in the 2023 presidential election, finishing third behind President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
